"She may be a true sister, but as a wife she's a stumer," Charles announced. "Anyone with a grain of resource would have said that I was so unnerved by finding Duval's body that only complete quiet could restore me."
"I hardly think she'd have been convinced," Celia replied. "By the way, Margaret and I can come to the inquest, can't we?"
"If you like," Charles answered. "But it won't be at all interesting."
Mrs. Bosanquet assumed her most disapproving cxpression. "If you take my advice, my dears, you will stay quietly at home with me. You do not want people to think you are some of these sensation-hunters we hear so much about nowadays. In my opinion, inquests and murder trials are not things that can interest women of breeding."
"But this is different, because Chas and Peter are mixed tip in it," Celia objected. "Besides, everyone's going, even Mr. Titmarsh. Colonel Ackerley said that though he didn't want to seem heartless, Framley hasn't had anything so thrilling happen since he came to live here."
"That may be, my dear, but the Colonel is not a Icmale. Quite the reverse, in fact, for being a soldier I've no doubt he holds human life very cheaply."
Later in the day Constable Flinders paid them a visit, and shook his head broodingly. "You ought to have sent for me, sir," he said reproachfully. "It would have been a nice case for me to handle, and there's no denying there's precious little scope in Framley for a man who has ambition."
"Sorry," Charles said. "But I thought you were watching him."
"I can't be everywhere at once, sir, can I? I go and take my eye off him for half a moment, just to make sure that Mr. Titmarsh wasn't getting up to mischief, and I'm blessed if he don't go and hang himself. I suppose the next thing'll be I'll find while I been about my ordinary duties that tiresome old bug-hunter - Mr. Titmarsh, I should say - has gone and done himself in with his own killing-bottle."
"Well, that'll give you a case anyhow," Charles consoled him.