Public interest and excitement was as keen about Collishaw's mysterious death as about Braden's, for it was already rumoured through the town that if Braden had not met with his death when he came to Wrychester, Collishaw would still be alive.

The Coroner's court was once more packed; once more there was the same atmosphere of mystery.

But the proceedings were of a very different nature to those which had attended the inquest on Braden.

The foreman under whose orders Collishaw had been working gave particulars of the dead man's work on the morning of his death.

He had been instructed to clear away an accumulation of rubbish which had gathered at the foot of the south wall of the nave in consequence of some recent repairs to the masonry--there was a full day's work before him.