Page:Gaskell - North and South, vol. II, 1855.djvu/124

 "Yes," replied Mr. Thornton. "I went and heard some kind of a rambling statement, which the clerk said was of no great use. I'm afraid he was but a drunken fellow, though there is no doubt he came to his death by violence at last. One of my mother's servants was engaged to him, I believe, and she is in great distress to-day. What about him?"

"Why, sir, his death is oddly mixed up with somebody in the house I saw you coming out of just now; it was a Mr. Hales's, I believe."

"Yes!" said Mr. Thornton, turning sharp round and looking into the inspector's face with sudden interest. "What about it?"

"Why, sir, it seems to me that I have got a pretty distinct chain of evidence, inculpating a gentleman who was walking with Miss Hale that night at the Outwood station, as the man who struck or pushed Leonards off the platform and so caused his death. But the young lady denies that she was there at the time."

"Miss Hale denies she was there!" repeated Mr. Thornton, in an altered voice. "Tell me, what evening was it? What time?"

"About six o'clock, on the evening of Thursday, the twenty-sixth."

They walked on, side by side, in silence for a minute or two. The inspector was the first to speak.

"You see, sir, there is like to be a coroner's inquest; and I've got a young man who is pretty positive,—at least he was at first;—since he has heard of the young lady's denial, he says he should not like to swear; but still he's pretty positive that he saw Miss Hale at the station, walking about with