Pawle. "And what said your lordship to
their--or the claimant's proposition?"
"I told them that the matter was so serious that they and I must see my
solicitors about it," answered Lord Ellingham, "and I arranged to meet
them here at one o'clock today. They quite agreed that that was the
proper thing to do, and went away. Then--you and Mr. Viner called."
"With, I understand, another extraordinary story," remarked Mr. Carless.
"The particulars of which His Lordship has also told me. Now, Pawle, what
do you really say about all this?"
Mr. Pawle smote his clenched right fist on the palm of his open
left hand.
"I will tell you what I say, Carless!" he exclaimed with emphasis. "I
say that whatever the papers and documents were which were produced by
this man to Methley and Woodlesford, they were stolen from the body of
John Ashton, who was foully murdered in Lonsdale Passage only last week.
I'll stake all I have on that! Now, then, did this claimant steal them?
Did he murder John Ashton for them? No--a thousand times no, for no man
would have been such a fool as to come forward with them so soon after
his victim's death! This claimant doesn't know how or where or when they
were obtained--he doesn't suspect that murder's in it.
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