"Yes,sir."

Thegirlranquicklyupthestaircase.MrSatterthwaitereturnedtotheroomhehadjustvacated.

ColonelMelrosewa.s.sayingheavily,"Well,I'mjiggered.There'smoreinthisthanmeetstheeye.It-it'slikethosedashedsillythingsheroinesdoinmanynovels."

"It'sunreal,"agreedMrSatterthwaite."It'slikesomethingonthestage."

MrQuinnodded."Yes,youadmirethedrama,doyounot?Youareamanwhoappreciatesgoodactingwhenyouseeit."

MrSatterthwaitelookedhardathim.

Inthesilencethatfollowedafar-offsoundcametotheirears.

"Soundslikeashot,"saidColonelMelrose."Oneofthekeepers,Idaresay.That'sprobablywhatsheheard.Perhapsshewentdowntosee.Shewouldn'tgocloseorexaminethebody.She'dleapatoncetotheconclusion-"

"MrDelangua,sir."Itwastheoldbutlerwhospoke,standingapologeticallyinthedoorway.

"Eh?"saidMelrose."What'sthat?"

"MrDelanguaishere,sir,andwouldliketospeaktoyouifhemay."

ColonelMelroseleanedbackinhischair."Showhimin,"hesaidgrimly.

AmomentlaterPaulDelanguastoodinthedoorway.AsColonelMelrosehadhinted,therewa.s.somethingun-Englishabouthim-theeasygraceofhismovements,thedark,handsomeface,theeyessetalittletooneartogether.TherehungabouthimtheairoftheRenaissance.HeandLauraDwightonsuggestedthesameatmosphere.

"Goodevening,gentlemen,"saidDelangua.Hemadealittletheatricalbow.

"Idon'tknowwhatyourbusinessmaybe,MrDelangua,"saidColonelMelrosesharply,"butifitisnothingtodowiththematterathand-"

Delanguainterruptedhimwithalaugh."Onthecontrary,"hesaid,"ithaseverythingtodowithit."

"Whatdoyoumean?"

"Imean,"saidDelanguaquietly,"thatIhavecometogivemyselfupforthemurderofSirJamesDwighton."

"Youknowwhatyouaresaying?"saidMelrosegravely.

"Perfectly."

Theyoungman'seyeswererivetedtothetable, "Idon'tunderstand-"

"WhyIgivemyselfup?Callitremorse-callitanythingyouplease.Istabbedhim,rightenough-youmaybequitesureofthat."Henoddedtowardthetable."You'vegottheweaponthere,Isee.Averyhandylittletool.LadyDwightonunfortunatelyleft.i.tlyingaroundinabook,andIhappenedtos.n.a.t.c.hitup."

"Oneminute,"saidColonelMelrose."AmItounderstandthatyouadmitstabbingSirJameswiththis?"Heheldthedaggeraloft.

"Quiteright.Istoleinthroughthewindow,youknow.Hehadhisbacktome.Itwasquiteeasy.Ileftthesameway."

"Throughthewindow?"

"Throughthewindow,ofcourse."

"Andwhattimewasthis?

Delanguahesitated."Letmesee-Iwastalkingtothekeeperfellow-thatwasataquarterpastsix.Iheardthechurchtowerchime.Itmusthavebeen-well,saysomewhereabouthalfpast"

AgrimsmilecametotheColonel'slips.

"Quiteright,youngman,"hesaid."Halfpastsixwasthetime.Perhapsyou'veheardthatalready?b.u.t.thisisaltogetheramostpeculiarmurder!"

"Why?"

"Somanypeopleconfesstoit,"saidColonelMelrose.

Theyheardthesharpintakeoftheother'sbreath.

"Whoelsehasconfessedtoit?"heaskedinavoicethathevainlystrovetorendersteady.

"LadyDwighton."

Delanguathrewbackhisheadandlaughedinratheraforcedmanner."LadyDwightonisapttobehysterical,"hesaidlightly."Ishouldn'tpayanyattentiontowhatshesaysifIwereyou."

"Idon'tthinkIshall,"saidMelrose."b.u.t.there'sanotheroddthingaboutthismurder."

"What'sthat?"

"Well,"saidMelrose,"LadyDwightonhasconfessedtohavingshotSirJames,andyouhaveconfessedtohavingstabbedhim.Butluckilyforbothofyou,hewasn'tshotorstabbed,yousee.Hisskullwa.s.smashedin."

"MyG.o.d!"criedDelangua."Butawomancouldn'tpossiblydothat-"

Hestopped,bitinghislip.Melrosenoddedwiththeghostofasmile.

"Oftenreadofit,"hevolunteered."Neverseenithappen."

"What?"

"Coupleofyoungidiotseachaccusingthemselvesbecausetheythoughttheotherhaddoneit,"saidMelrose."Nowwe'vegottobeginatthebeginning."

"Thevalet,"criedMrSatterthwaite."Thatgirljustnow-Iwasn'tpayinganyattentionatthetime."Hepaused,strivingforcoherence."Shewasafraidofoursuspectinghim.Theremustbesomemotivethathehadandwhichwedon'tknow,butshedoes."

ColonelMelrosefrowned,thenherangthebell.Whenitwasanswered,hesaid,"PleaseaskLadyDwightonifshewillbegoodenoughtocomedownagain."

Theywaitedinsilenceuntilshecame.AtsightofDelanguashestartedandstretchedoutahandtosaveherselffromfalling.ColonelMelrosecamequicklytotherescue.

"It'squiteallright,LadyDwighton.Pleasedon'tbealarmed."

"Idon'tunderstand.WhatisMrDelanguadoinghere?"

Delanguacameovertoher,"Laura-Laura-whydidyoudoit?"

"Doit?"

"Iknow.Itwasforme-becauseyouthoughtthatI-Afterall,itwasnatural,Isuppose.But,oh!Youangel!"

ColonelMelroseclearedhisthroat.Hewasamanwhodislikedemotionandhadahorrorofanythingapproachinga"scene."

"Ifyou'llallowmetosayso,LadyDwighton,bothyouandMrDelanguahavehadaluckyescape.Hehadjustarrivedinhisturnto'confess'tothemurder-oh,it'squiteallright,hedidn'tdoit!Butwhatwewanttoknowisthetruth.Nomoreshillyshallying.Thebutlersaysyouwentintothelibraryathalfpastsix-isthatso?"

LauralookedatDelangua.Henodded.

"Thetruth,Laura,"hesaid."Thatiswhatwewantnow."

Shebreathedadeepsigh."Iwilltellyou."

ShesankdownonachairthatMrSatterthwaitehadhurriedlypushedforward.

"Ididcomedown.IopenedthelibrarydoorandIsaw-"

Shestoppedandswallowed.MrSatterthwaiteleanedforwardandpattedherhandencouragingly.

"Yes,"hesaid."Yes.Yousaw?"

"Myhusbandwaslyingacrossthewriting-table.Isawhishead-theblood-oh!"

Sheputherhandstoherface.Thechiefconstableleanedforward.

"Excuseme,LadyDwighton.YouthoughtMrDelanguahadshothim?"

Shenodded."Forgiveme,Paul,"shepleaded."Butyousaid-yousaid-"

"ThatI'dshoothimlikeadog,"saidDelanguagrimly."Iremember.ThatwasthedayIdiscoveredhe'dbeenill-treatingyou."

Thechiefconstablekeptsternlytothematterinhand.

"ThenIamtounderstand,LadyDwighton,thatyouwentupstairsagainand-er-saidnothing.Weneedn'tgointoyourreason.Youdidn'ttouchthebodyorgonearthewriting-table?"

Sheshuddered.

"No,no.Iranstraightoutoftheroom."

"Isee,Isee.Andwhattimewasthis.e.xactly?Doyouknow?"

"ItwasjusthalfpastsixwhenIgotbacktomybedroom."

"Thenat-sayfive-and-twentypastsix,SirJameswasalreadydead."Thechiefconstablelookedattheothers."Thatclock-itwasfaked,eh?Wesuspectedthatallalong.Nothingeasierthantomovethehandstowhatevertimeyouwished,b.u.t.theymadeamistaketolayitdownonitssidelikethat.Well,thatseemstonarrowitdowntothebutlerorthevalet,andIcan'tbelieveit'sthebutler.Tellme,LadyDwighton,didthismanJenningshaveanygrudgeagainstyourhusband?"

Lauraliftedherfacefromherhands."Notexactlyagrudge,but-wellJamestoldmeonlythismorningthathe'ddismissedhim.He'dfoundhimpilfering."

"Ah!Nowwe'regettingat.i.t.Jenningswouldhavebeendismissedwithoutacharacter.Aseriousmatterforhim."

"Yousaidsomethingaboutaclock,"saidLauraDwighton."There'sjustachance-ifyouwanttofixthetime-Jameswouldhavebeensuretohavehislittlegolfwatchonhim.Mightn'tthathavebeensmashed,too,whenhefellforward?"

"It'sanidea,"saidtheColonelslowly."ButI'mafraid-Curtis!"

Theinspectornoddedinquickcomprehensionandlefttheroom.Hereturnedaminutelater.Onthepalmofhishandwasasilverwatchmarkedlikeagolfball,thekindthataresoldforgolferstocarrylooseinapocketwithb.a.l.l.s.

"Hereitis,sir,"hesaid,"butIdoubtifitwillbeanygood.They'retough,thesewatches."

TheColoneltookitfromhimandheldittohisear.

"Itseemstohavestopped,anyway,"heobserved.

Hepressedwithhisthumb,andthelidofthewatchflewopen.Insidethegla.s.swascrackedacross.

"Ah!"hesaidexultantly.

Thehandpointedtoexactlyaquarterpastsix.

"Averygoodgla.s.sofport,ColonelMelrose,"saidMrQuin.

Itwashalfpastnine,andthethreemenhadjustfinishedabelateddinneratColonelMelrose'shouse.MrSatterthwaitewasparticularlyjubilant.

"Iwasquiteright,"hechuckled."Youcan'tdenyit,MrQuin.Youturneduptonighttosavetwoabsurdyoungpeoplewhowerebothbentonputtingtheirheadsintoanoose."

"DidI?"saidMrQuin."Surelynot.Ididnothingatall."

"Asitturnedout,itwasnotnecessary,"agreedMrSatterthwaite."But.i.tmighthavebeen.Itwastouchandgo,youknow.IshallneverforgetthemomentwhenLadyDwightonsaid,'Ikilledhim.'I'veneverseenanythingonthestagehalfasdramatic."

"I'minclinedtoagreewithyou,"saidMrQuin.

"Wouldn'thavebelievedsuchathingcouldhappenoutsideanovel,"declaredthecolonel,forperhapsthetwentiethtimethatnight.

"Doesit?"askedMrQuin.

Thecolonelstaredathim,"d.a.m.nit,ithappenedtonight."

"Mindyou,"interposedMrSatterthwaite,leaningbackandsippinghisport,"LadyDwightonwasmagnificent,quitemagnificent,butshemadeonemistake.Sheshouldn'thaveleapedtotheconclusionthatherhusbandhadbeenshot.InthesamewayDelanguawasafooltoa.s.sumethathehadbeenstabbedjustbecausethedaggerhappenedtobelyingonthetableinfrontofus.ItwasamerecoincidencethatLadyDwightonshouldhavebrought.i.tdownwithher."

"Wasit?"askedMrQuin.

"Nowifthey'donlyconfinedthemselvestosayingthatthey'dkilledSirJames,withoutparticularizinghow-"wentonMrSatterthwaite-"whatwouldhavebeentheresult?"

"Theymighthavebeenbelieved,"saidMrQuinwithanoddsmile.

"Thewholethingwas.e.xactlylikeanovel,"saidtheColonel.

"That'swheretheygottheideafrom,Idaresay,"saidMrQuin.

"Possibly,"agreedMrSatterthwaite."Thingsonehasreaddocomebacktooneintheoddestway."HelookedacrossatMrQuinn."Ofcourse,"hesaid,"theclockreallylookedsuspiciousfromthefirst.Oneoughtnevertoforgethoweasyitistoputthehandsofaclockorwatchforwardorback."