Miss Blow went straight from Clonmore Castle to the police barrack. She was received at the door by Constable Moriarty, who happened to be on duty at the time. He was a young man who had only recently joined the force. Miss Blow, after a glance at his smooth boyish face, asked to see the sergeant. She was shown into a small room, known as the office, and kept waiting while Sergeant Farrelly, who was digging potatoes in the garden, “cleaned himself.” Her manner, when he joined her, was peremptory. She demanded that a search party should start at once and scour the country for Dr. O’Grady’s body. Sergeant Farrelly was puzzled, and scratched his head. Miss Blow handed him Lord Manton’s note. He read it, was very perplexed, and scratched his head again. Miss Blow pressed her demand.
“It will be better,” said the sergeant at last, “if I go up to the Castle, and speak to his lordship myself. If you’ll have the kindness, miss, to leave your name and address, I’ll communicate with you.”
“I’ll wait here,” said Miss Blow, “till you return.”
“Is it in the barrack, miss?”
“Here,” said Miss Blow firmly.
Sergeant Farrelly looked at her helplessly. He did not want a handsome young lady in the barrack; he thought his office an unsuitable place for Miss Blow; but he saw no way of altering her determination. He left her and summoned Constable Moriarty.
“The young lady within,” he said, “will wait in the office until such time as I come back from the Castle, where I’ll be speaking on business to his lordship. I leave it to you, Constable Moriarty, to see that she’s treated with proper respect.”
“Is it me?” said Moriarty.
“It is you. You can take her in yesterday’s paper, and if it happens that she’s read it already, you can talk to her, making yourself as pleasant and agreeable as you know how.”