"What can I do for you ?" His eye regarded her with a thoughtful glance.

His professional interest had been aroused by the strange death of the occupant of Flint House, whose object in visiting Cornwall had been common gossip in the district for some time past.
"It is about my brother's death that I wished to see you." Mrs.Pendleton spoke earnestly, drawing her chair closer with the feeling that the man before her had sufficient intelligence to give her a sympathetic hearing.
"So I gathered from your card.

It seems a very sad case.

Sergeant Pengowan's report has just reached me.

Anything I can do for you--" Inspector Dawfield pretended to occupy himself in cutting open an official envelope with scrupulous care.
"Sergeant Pengowan regards it as a case of suicide, does he not ?" asked Mrs.Pendleton rigidly.
"Well, yes, I believe he does," replied Inspector Dawfield.