Let me know, by the by, when this young man at the Peacock leaves here, and, if possible--and you can find out--for where." Bryce was all unconscious that any one was interested in his movements when he strolled out into Barthorpe market-place just after eleven.
He had asked a casual question of the waiter and found that the old gentleman had departed--he accordingly believed himself free from observation.

And forthwith he set about his work of inquiry in his own fashion.

He was not going to draw any attention to himself by asking questions of present-day inhabitants, whose curiosity might then be aroused; he knew better methods than that.

Every town, said Bryce to himself, possesses public records--parish registers, burgess rolls, lists of voters; even small towns have directories which are more or less complete--he could search these for any mention or record of anybody or any family of the name of Braden.

And he spent all that day in that search, inspecting numerous documents and registers and books, and when evening came he had a very complete acquaintance with the family nomenclature of Barthorpe, and he was prepared to bet odds against any one of the name of Braden having lived there during the past half-century.