“What’s this, Mr. Mitchington?” she demanded as they drew near across the cobble-paved yard.  “Somebody’s been in to say there’s been an accident to a gentleman, a stranger—­I hope it isn’t one of the two we’ve got in the house?”

“I should say it is, ma’am,” answered the inspector.  “He was seen outside here last night by one of our men, anyway.”

The landlady uttered an expression of distress, and opening a side-door, motioned them to step into her parlour.

“Which of them is it?” she asked anxiously.  “There’s two —­came together last night, they did—­a tall one and a short one.  Dear, dear me!—­is it a bad accident, now, inspector?”

“The man’s dead, ma’am,” replied Mitchington grimly.  “And we want to know who he is.  Have you got his name—­and the other gentleman’s?”

Mrs. Partingley uttered another exclamation of distress and astonishment, lifting her plump hands in horror.  But her business faculties remained alive, and she made haste to produce a big visitors’ book and to spread it open before her callers.

“There it is!” she said, pointing to the two last entries.  “That’s the short gentleman’s name—­Mr. John Braden, London.  And that’s the tall one’s—­Mr. Christopher Dellingham—­also London.  Tourists, of course—­we’ve never seen either of them before.”

“Came together, you say, Mrs. Partingley?” asked Mitchington.  “When was that, now?”

“Just before dinner, last night,” answered the landlady.  “They’d evidently come in by the London train—­that gets in at six-forty, as you know.  They came here together, and they’d dinner together, and spent the evening together.  Of course, we took them for friends.  But they didn’t go out together this morning, though they’d breakfast together.  After breakfast, Mr. Dellingham asked me the way to the old Manor Mill, and he went off there, so I concluded.  Mr. Braden, he hung about a bit, studying a local directory I’d lent him, and after a while he asked me if he could hire a trap to take him out to Saxonsteade this afternoon.  Of course, I said he could, and he arranged for it to be ready at two-thirty.  Then he went out, and across the market towards the Cathedral.  And that,” concluded Mrs. Partingley, “is about all I know, gentlemen.”

“Saxonsteade, eh?” remarked Mitchington.  “Did he say anything about his reasons for going there?”

“Well, yes, he did,” replied the landlady.  “For he asked me if I thought he’d be likely to find the Duke at home at that time of day.  I said I knew his Grace was at Saxonsteade just now, and that I should think the middle of the afternoon would be a good time.”

“He didn’t tell you his business with the Duke?” asked Mitchington.

“Not a word!” said the landlady.  “Oh, no!—­just that, and no more.  But—­here’s Mr. Dellingham.”

Bryce turned to see a tall, broad-shouldered, bearded man pass the window—­the door opened and he walked in, to glance inquisitively at the inspector.  He turned at once to Mrs. Partingley.