"How... horrible!" said Mrs. Dampier.
"It must have happened when she was on her way home from you," suggested Miss Richards. "She would pass through the spinney."
There came a loud sob from Mrs. Cappell. Captain Porter put a fatherly hand on her shoulder.
"Dreadful, my dear lady, dreadful!" he said. "But we must not give way."
"But who on earth would want to murder her?" persisted Mrs. Dampier.
"Not for her money, anyhow." said the Captain.
"How ... how was it done?" asked Mrs. Dampier. She spoke almost against her will, sincerely grieved, but fascinated by the dreadful news.
"We have heard no details." said Captain Porter. "I thought of going up to see if I could help the Colonel at all. He must be terribly cut up. The worst of it is... we are not... we had... well, we didn't..."
