"Bless your heart, sir, how comes it that us Steynholme folk know
everythink about other folk's business? Sometimes we know more'n they
knows themselves. You've not walked a yard wi' Doris that the women's
tittle-tattle hasn't made it into a mile."

No man, even the wisest, likes to be told an unpalatable truth. For a few
seconds, Grant was seriously annoyed with this village Solon, and nearly
blurted out an angry command that he should hold his tongue. Luckily,
since Bates was only trying to be helpful, he was content to say
sarcastically:

"Of course, if you are so well posted in my movements last night, you can
assure the coroner and the Police that I did not strangle some strange
woman, tie a rope around her, and throw her in the river."

"Me an' my missis couldn't help seein' you an' Doris a-lookin' at the
stars through a spyglass when us were goin' to bed," persisted Bates. "We
heerd your voices quite plain. Once 'ee fixed the glass low down, an'
said, 'That's serious. It's late to-night.' An' I tell 'ee straight, sir,
I said to the missis:--'It will be serious, an' all, if Doris's father
catches her gallivantin' in our garden wi' Mr. Grant nigh on ten
o'clock.' Soon after that 'ee took Doris as far as the bridge. The window
was open, an' I heerd your footsteps on the road. You kem' in, closed the
window, an' drew a chair up to the table. After that, I fell asleep."

Perturbed and anxious though he was, Grant could hardly fail to see that
Bates meant well by him. The mental effort needed for such a long speech
said as much. The allusion to Sirius, amusing at any other time, was now
most valuable, because an astronomical almanac would give the hour at
which that brilliant star became visible. Other considerations yielded at