But--this man doesn't." Mr.Portlethorpe muttered something about it being very possible for a man to forget a tremendous lot in thirty years, but Mrs.Ralston and Mr.
Lindsey shook their heads at his dissent from their opinion.

As for me, I was thinking of the undoubted fact that the supposed Sir Gilbert Carstairs had been obliged in my presence to use a map in order to find his exact whereabouts when he was, literally, within two miles of his own house.
"Another thing," continued Mrs.Ralston: "in my few visits to Hathercleugh since he came, I have found out that while he is very well posted up in certain details of our family history, he is unaccountably ignorant of others with which he ought to have been perfectly familiar.

I found out, too, that he is exceedingly clever in avoiding subjects in which his ignorance might be detected.

But, clever as he is, he has more than once given me grounds for suspicion.

And I tell you plainly, Mr.Portlethorpe, that since he has been selling property to the extent you report, you ought, at this juncture, and as things are, to find out how money matters stand.