"Had he any enemies?" questioned the Coroner.
"Not to my knowledge. A more amiable man never existed."
"Do you know anything of his past life?"
"Only that he had been vicar here ever since I was a child, and was devoted to books and to archæology. With the exception of his parishioners, myself and Mr. Mallien and his daughter, I don't think he ever saw anyone. He was wholly wrapped up in his books."
"Then there was nothing in his past life which suggests any reason why this crime should have been committed?"
"Certainly not, so far as I know."
Inspector Lawson and Kensit, the village policeman, gave what sparse evidence they could. The latter declared that while on his rounds on the night of the murder he had met no one and had seen nothing suspicious when he passed the gate of the Vicarage. At the hour when the crime was said by Dr. Tollart to have been committed, witness was on the other side of the village. Lawson deposed that no weapon had been found, that no evidence of any intruder had been discovered.
"I understood that the study was in a state of disorder," said the Coroner.
"I gather from many sources that the study was always in a state of disorder," retorted the Inspector.
Kensit, recalled, said that he did not think that the study was even more untidy than usual. Everything was turned upside down--books and papers, "Just as if some one had been searching for something," declared the witness.