The day wore
slowly till it was time to attend the inquest. He found a crowd gathered
in front of the Hare and Hounds. Superintendent Fowler was there, and
quite a number of policemen, whose presence was explained when a buzz of
excitement heralded Grant's arrival. He decided not to stand this sort of
persecution a moment longer.
Before the superintendent could interfere, he leaped on to a set of stone
mounting-steps which stood opposite the door. Instantly, seeing that he
was about to speak, the angry murmuring of the mob was hushed. He looked
into a hundred stolid faces, and stretched out his right hand.
"I cannot help feeling," he said, in slow, incisive accents which carried
far, "that a set of peculiar circumstances has led you Steynholme folk to
suspect me of being responsible, in some way, for the death of the lady
whose body was found in the river near my house. Now, I want to tell you
that I am not only an innocent but a much-maligned man. The law of the
land will establish both facts in due season. But I want to warn some of
you, too, I shall not trouble to issue writs for libel. If any blackguard
among you dares to insult me openly, I shall smash his face.
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