"Doesn't seem to have bothered you," remarked the Inspector humorously.
"I need hardly say," said Sturry coldly, "that the late Mr. Herriard never so demeaned himself with Me."
He then withdrew in a very stately manner, softly closing the door behind him.
Ford, who, in a few minutes, presented himself, was looking a little scared. He would not admit that he had found Nathaniel a hard master; he seemed, instead, anxious to assure the Inspector that he had got on well with him, and had liked the place. Swallowing, he said, as though he had keyed himself up to it, that he had been upstairs between seven-thirty and eight-thirty, and had tried to enter his master's room. He thought that that would have been at ten to eight, or perhaps a little later. He had previously run a bath for Mr. Herriard, as was his custom, and had laid out his evening clothes.
"Why did you go back?" asked the Inspector.
"Mr. Herriard used very often to like me to help him to dress after his bath," explained Ford.
"Did you find the door locked?"
"Yes, Inspector."
"Did you knock?"
"Only the once," faltered the valet.