"
"I don't say he has lost his character in that respect," said Winter.
"Still, he puzzles me. Elkin is a loud-mouthed fool. The verbal bricks he
hurls at Grant are generally half baked, and crumble into dust. Hitherto,
Siddle has tried to repress him, with a transparent honesty that rather
worried me. On Friday night, however, Siddle attacked Grant with poisoned
arrows. He did more damage in two minutes than Elkin could achieve in as
many months."
"How?"
"He showed very clearly that Grant was guilty of gross bad taste in
inviting Mr. Martin and his daughter to dinner that evening. I'm inclined
to agree with him, if the story has been told fairly. But that is beside
the main issue. Siddle aroused the sleeping dogs of the village, and the
pack is in full cry again. Grant seems to have been popular here; he had
almost recovered from the blow of Miss Melhuish's death by the
straightforward speech he made before the inquest. But Siddle threw him
back into the mud by a few skillful words. What is Siddle's record? Is he
a local man?"
"I think not. Robinson can tell us."
"Robinson says he 'believes' Siddle is a widower. That doesn't argue long
and close knowledge.
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