"Oh, he doesn't find it dull," replied Mrs. Pelgrin innocently; "he has made friends with plenty of Thawley folk. Are you going away to-morrow?"
"Perhaps, and perhaps the next day," said Dan, wondering at the direct question. "You see I wish to get an aeroplane from Mr. Vincent, and as soon as I do, I shall go back to London."
"You'll be seeing Mrs. Jarsell again?" Halliday shook his head. "I shall be too busy to spare the time." Mrs. Pelgrin drew a breath of relief, and again became fierce. "I ain't ashamed of what I've said," she declared, pulling open the door violently; "you can tell the whole village if you like," and she bounced out as she had bounced in, leaving Laurance overcome with surprise. "Now what's the meaning of all that chatter?" he asked, staring at Dan. "Oh, it's very plain. Mrs. Jarsell has taken a fancy to her nephew, and Mrs. Pelgrin thinks our fascinations may spoil his chance of getting money. What I want to know is what George has done for Mrs. Jarsell to warrant the deep interest she apparently takes in him. Evidently," mused Dan to himself, "there are not other Sheepeak people employed at the Thawley Station." "What of that?" Laurance stared harder than ever. "Nothing. Only George Pelgrin would be the only person likely to know Mrs. Jarsell at the Thawley Station. There are motor-cars also, remember."
"I really don't see what you are driving at, Dan."
"I scarcely see myself, save that I want to learn the secret of that perfume, and why it forms a link between Moon and Penn and Mrs. Jarsell."
"But how can this chatter of Mrs. Pelgrin's help?" asked Freddy, more and more puzzled. Dan lighted his bedroom candle and walked slowly to the door before he replied. "I shall have to sleep upon what I know before I can answer that," he said, nodding. "Good-night, old chap."
"But Dan, Dan, Dan!" called out Laurance, who had heard just enough to make him wish to hear more, "tell me----"; he stopped speaking, as he saw that Halliday was out of hearing. It was in a very dissatisfied frame of mind that Laurance retired to his bed. Next morning Dan had evidently quite forgotten the conversation of the landlady, for he made no remark, and although Freddy tried to start the subject again he declined to revert to it. Halliday declared that he did not know what to say, that he was putting two and two together, but as yet could not make four, and that it would be just as well to seek Mr. Solomon Vincent, to hear if he was disposed to supply an aeroplane. "Only I wonder," he remarked irrelevantly, as he walked up the road with his friend, "how it comes that Mrs. Pelgrin speaks more like a Londoner than a Derbyshire woman."
"I thought we discussed that question before," replied Laurance. "School-boards are doing away largely with the local dialect. Also Mrs. Pelgrin, as Mildred told me, was in service for some years at Reading. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, I ask nothing," said Dan easily; "it was only an idea I had."
"Connected with the case?"