Then they began to talk about the murder itself, and Smerdon asked who was suspected, or if any one was?
"No," Penlyn said, "no one is suspected--as yet. A labourer was seen following him on that night, and suspicion naturally falls on him, because, if he did not do it himself, he must have been close at hand, and would have helped him or given an alarm. There is only one road through the Park, which they must both have taken."
"Is there any trace of this man?"
"None whatever, up to last night. Meanwhile, his friend and secretary, Mr. Stuart, says that he is confident that the murder was committed by some one who had reason to wish him out of the way, and he is going through his papers to-day to see if any of them can throw any light on such an enemy."
"He cannot, I suppose, find anything that can do you any harm?"
"Supposing he finds those certificates he showed us?"
"Supposing he does! You are Lord Penlyn now, at any rate. And it would give you an opportunity of putting in a claim to his property. You are his heir, if he has left no will."
"His heir! To all his immense wealth?"
"Certainly."
"I shall never claim it, and I hope to God he has destroyed every proof of our relationship."