Читать книгу The Green Archer онлайн

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"Very good, sir," said the obliging officer of the law. "I haven't reported this to my chief."

"Well, don't," said the other. "Now see here, officer. I guess there's little that happens in this village that you don't know. Have you had any strangers here lately?"

The gratified officer lifted his chin and screwed up his face in a grimace of profound thought.

"Yes, sir, there has been one or two. There was a lady who came down to see over Lady's Manor."

"Lady's Manor?" said Bellamy quickly. "Is that the old house on the road?"

"That's it," said the officer. "It belongs to Lord Tetherton and it is a tumbledown sort of place which would cost a lot of money to put in repair; which is one of the reasons it has never let. Some parts of it are as old as the castle."

"When did she come to Garre?" asked Bellamy keenly.

"Two days ago. Quite a nice lady, remarkably pretty. I caught sight of her just as she was driving away."

"Do you know where she came from?"

"London, I understand, sir. The car had a London indicator on it, and I think she travelled by way of Reading. The woman who keeps the keys of Lady's Manor said she came from Solders, the house agents. They've got the property in hand."