"Well! what of it? That's none of our business."
"He's--he's dead."
"Dead? Who's dead? What do you mean?"
The hobbledehoy broke into a fit of blubbering.
"They've--they've killed him," he blubbered.
"Killed him? Who's killed him? What are you talking about? Stop that noise. Can't you talk sense?"
Day, the butler, crossing the hall, came out to see what was the cause of the to-do. At any moment people might call. They would please to find this senseless gawk boohooing like a young bull calf. Day and the footman between them tried to make head or tail of the fellow's blundering story. While they were doing so Mrs Plummer appeared in the doorway.
"Day, what is the matter here? What is the meaning of this disturbance?"
"I can't quite make out, but from what this young man says it appears that he's seen someone lying dead in Cooper's Spinney. So far as I can understand the young man seems to think that he's been murdered."
Mrs Plummer started back, trembling so violently that she leaned against the wall, as if in want of its support.