The proceeding favoured a little idea of his own, which was to revisit the spot where he had tied his bootlace the evening before, and see if an examination of that fatal spot would throw any fresh light on his investigation.

Accordingly after tea he sallied forth with a trowel in his coat pocket.

It was rather a dismal expedition, for it rained, and there was a cool breeze.

The lane was muddy even in the roadway, and on the banks it was a quagmire.

Still Jonah was too full of his mystery seriously to mind the weather.
He trudged up and down the lane, sharply scrutinising the hedge for his bootlace.