"Are you sure?"
"Sure as can be, sirr. At least, if a did, a said nowt abaout it to me or the missus."
"Nobody ever came to see him?"
"No, sirr, that I'm certain on!"
"Did he seem as if he had anything on his mind?"
"No, that a didn't, for my missus said as haow she neverr see such a light-hearted chap in herr life!"
Claud pondered deeply, nursing one knee and staring at the kitchen floor.
"You see, this is what bothers me, Mr. Clapp," he said. "It was an assault apparently without any motive whatever, for Mr. Allonby was not robbed."
"Eh, it's as queer a thing as ever I heard on, and as awful," said William Clapp. "In the meedst of life we are in death, as I've often heared in church, sirr! Why, the mowers in Miss Willoughby's grass, and Loud at the smithy, they see him go by a-laughing and a-giving everyone good-morning as perlite and well-mannered as could be; and the next one hears of him——!"
The farmer made an eloquent gesture with his hand.