About half-past ten Mrs. Nugent said that she would step up to bed; and in that direction she went, accompanied by her husband, whose program it was presently to step round to the Wheatsheaf for an hour with the landlord after the bar was shut up.
At the door on the right hand he hesitated, but his wife passed on sternly; and as she passed into their own bedroom a piece of news came to his mind.
“That was Mr. Laurie you heard, Mary,” said he. “Jim told me he saw him go past just after dark. … Well; I’ll take the house-key with me.”