"Lawks! and why should he? It wasn't nothing to do with him. I did ask him, and he said as he never saw no letter on the table."
"Did Mr. Lemby----"
"He was in the study with the policeman, and with me and the corpse," said Mrs. Vence, truculently. "I don't go for to tell lies, do I? But the door was open all the time, and the fog was pouring in like steam. If you ask me," added the old woman, slowly, "I do say as the murderer came back for that letter."
Purse jumped. "Why do you say that?"
"'Cause I don't see as anyone else could have taken it. 'Course it ain't no business o' mine, but the murderer might have slipped round the corner on the bicycle and waited his chance to steal."
"He would have acted like a fool had he done that," said Purse, incredulously.
"Well, well, it's only an idea, as you might say."
"Have you any reason to----"
"No, I ain't got reasons. But the letter's gone, and as no one we know took it, someone as we don't know did. And that's sense. Well, I'm going to make myself some tea, and trim up my popping-out bonnet, so as to look smart for the sitting on the corpse to-morrow. This me?" Mrs. Vance glared at the crushed newspaper. "I'll have the law on him as did it."
"Oh, go away and hold your tongue," said Purse, impatiently.