"It may have been an assumed name." "The man may have been searching for particulars of his mother's family," remarked the solicitor.
"That line of thought would carry us too far afield just now," said the coroner.

He turned to the jury.

"I've allowed this evidence about the man Gilverthwaite, gentlemen," he said, "because it's very evident that Gilverthwaite came to this neighbourhood for some special purpose and wanted to get some particular information; and it's more than probable that the man into the circumstances of whose death we're inquiring was concerned with him in his purpose.

But we cannot go any further today," he concluded, "and I shall adjourn the inquiry for a fortnight, when, no doubt, there'll be more evidence to put before you." I think that the folk who had crowded into that room, all agog to hear whatever could be told, went out of it more puzzled than when they came in.

They split up into groups outside the inn, and began to discuss matters amongst themselves.