First, Vera makes sure that Framton Nuttel knows nothing about her aunt. After confirming this, she knows that she can tell him anything because he only knows her name and address. Vera draws Framton in by telling him that her aunt experienced a tragedy three years ago. This would have occurred after Framton's sister had already left. Vera then tells Framton that her aunt's husband, two brothers, and their spaniel went snipe-hunting three years ago and never returned. They were engulfed in a bog (a swampy quicksand) and their bodies were never recovered. Vera claims that, to this day, her aunt keeps the window open with the futile hope that they will return.
Vera is lying of course and when they do return, the already nervous Framton runs away. Vera resumes lying and tells her aunt that Framton was once hunted by a pack of wild dogs near the Ganges. He was chased into a cemetery and forced to sit in a freshly dug grave to wait them out. Vera concludes that, because of this experience, Framton must have been frightened by Mr. Sappleton's spaniel when they returned from hunting.
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