The man frowned angrily. There was a note of defiance in his
tone as he stowed the letter away in his pocketbook.
"There were two men and one woman," he replied, "all three of the
upper classes. The bodies were recovered from Wilson's lock,
some three hundred yards from The Walled House."
"Do they form part of your case?" Francis persisted.
Shopland stepped back.
"Mr. Ledsam," he said, "I told you, some little time ago, that so
far as this particular case was concerned I had no confidences to
share with you. I am sorry that you saw that letter. Since you
did, however, I hope you will not take it as a liberty from one
in my position if I advise you most strenuously to do nothing
which might impede the course of the law. Good day, sir!"
CHAPTER XXIV
Francis, in that pleasant half-hour before dinner which he spent
in Margaret's sitting-room, told her of the dogs' home near
Wardour Street. She listened sympathetically to his description
of the place.
"I had never heard of it," she acknowledged, "but I am not in
anyway surprised. My father spends at least an hour of every
day, when he is down at Hatch End, amongst the horses, and every
time a fresh crock is brought down, he is as interested as though
it were a new toy."
"It is a remarkable trait in a very remarkable character,"
Francis commented.
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