"How, then," I asked, "was it discovered that the corpse had walked?"
"By an anonymous letter."
"Just so—from one of the thieves, no doubt. To regain possession of the body, you must bid higher—it is a question of money."
"There you are wrong. The writer of the anonymous letter has been found."
"Well?"
"He is a respectable tenant on the deceased man's estate."
"What explanation does he give?"
"He says he was returning from market late one night when he was greatly alarmed by seeing lights in the family vault. It was rumoured at the time of the funeral that certain valuable relics were interred with the body, and he thought robbers were despoiling the dead. Next morning he did not know what to do. He was afraid his statement would be laughed at, so he decided to send the unsigned letter. Here is a copy of it. It is addressed to the family solicitor. "Passing Lord Seamord's last resting place," he wrote, "between nine and ten p.m. yesterday, the writer was greatly astonished to see lights in the vault, and an examination will prove that the dead has been disturbed"."
"And how long ago did this happen?" I asked.
"Three months."