“He told you of the tragedy then?”
“He said: ‘Mr. Robin has been murdered, and I wish you’d find Mr. Sperling for me.’—That was all, sir.”
“You’re sure he said ‘murdered,’ Pyne?” interjected Vance.
For the first time the butler hesitated, and an added astuteness crept into his look.
“Yes, sir—I’m sure he did. ‘Murdered’ is what he said.”
“And did you see the body of Mr. Robin when you pushed your search?” pursued Vance, his eyes idly tracing a design on the wall.
Again there was a brief hesitation.
“Yes, sir. I opened the basement door to look out on the archery range, and there I saw the poor young gentleman. . . .”
“A great shock it must have given you, Pyne,” Vance observed drily. “Did you, by any hap, touch the poor young gentleman’s body?—or the arrow, perhaps?—or the bow?”
Pyne’s watery eyes glistened for a moment.