"
"We want to get to the bottom of this matter, Mr. Gard. Tell us all you
know that will help us."
"Very well, sir, but I am sorry to have to go into that. It all began
through Tom's bad treatment of his stepmother and step-sister and
brother when I lived at La Closerie. I took sides with them and tried to
bring him to better manners. We rarely met without his flinging some
insult after me. They were generally in the patois, but I knew them to
be insults by his manner and by the way they were greeted by those who
did understand."
"Had you met last night before you met near the Coupee?"
"We passed Tom by La Vauroque as we came from the Doctor's. He shouted
something after us, but I did not understand it."
"You don't know what it was that he said?" an unfortunate question on
the part of the Senechal, and quite unintentionally so on his part. It
necessitated the introduction of matters Gard would fain have kept out
of the enquiry.
"Well," he said, with visible reluctance, "I learned afterwards, and by
accident, something of what he said or meant."
"How was that, and what was it?"
"Is it necessary to go into that? Won't it do if I say it was a very
gross insult?"
The three at the table conferred for a moment.
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