I know 'em well--they'd both of 'em
weigh four times as much--together--as young Squire Mallathorpe, and yet
it didn't give way under them. And then--only a few hours later, as you
might say, down it goes with him!"
"I don't think you can form any opinion from that!" said Collingwood.
"These things, these old structures, often give way quite suddenly and
unexpectedly."
"Ay, well, they did admit, these men too, that it seemed a bit tottery,
like," remarked the landlord. "Talking it over, between themselves, in
here, they agreed, to be sure, that it felt to give a bit. All the same,
there's them as says that it's a queer thing it should ha' given
altogether when young squire walked on it."
Collingwood clinched matters with a straight question.
"You don't mean to say that people are suggesting that the foot-bridge
had been tampered with?" he asked.
"There is them about as wouldn't be slow to say as much," answered the
landlord. "Folks will talk! You see, sir--nobody saw what happened. And
when country folk doesn't see what takes place, with their own eyes,
then they----"
"Make mysteries out of it," interrupted Collingwood, a little
impatiently. "I don't think there's any mystery here, landlord--I
understood that this foot-bridge was in a very unsafe condition. No! I'm
afraid the whole affair was only too simple.
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