ve simply put
on all the rest just because they were there, instead of getting out the
kind of shirt and things he always wore by day--well, sir, it was
unprecedented. It shows, like some other things, what a hurry he must
have been in when getting up."

"Of course," said Trent. "Well, I think that's all I wanted to know. You
have put everything with admirable clearness, Martin. If we want to ask
any more questions later on, I suppose you will be somewhere about."

"I shall be at your disposal, sir." Martin bowed and went out quietly.

Trent flung himself into the arm-chair and exhaled a long breath.
"Martin is a great creature," he said. "He is far, far better than a
play. There is none like him, none--nor will be when our summers have
deceased. Straight, too: not an atom of harm in dear old Martin. Do you
know, Murch, you are wrong in suspecting that man."

"I never said a word about suspecting him." The inspector was taken
aback. "_You_ know, Mr. Trent, he would never have told his story like
that if he thought I suspected him."

"I dare say he doesn't think so. He is a wonderful creature, a great
artist; but in spite of that he is not at all a sensitive type. It has
never occurred to his mind that you, Murch, could suspect him, Martin,
the complete, the accomplished. But I know it. You must understand,
inspector, that I have made a special study of the psychology of
officers of the law. It is a grossly neglected branch of knowledge. They
are far more interesting than criminals, and not nearly so easy. All the
time I was questioning him I saw handcuffs in your eye. Your lips were
mutely framing the syllables of those tremendous words: 'It is my duty
to tell you that anything you now say will be taken down and used in
evidence against you.' Your manner would have deceived most men, but it
could not deceive me."

Mr. Murch laughed heartily. Trent's nonsense never made any sort of
impression on his mind, but he took it as a mark of esteem, which indeed
it was; so it never failed to please him. "Well, Mr. Trent," he said,
"you're perfectly right. There's no point in denying it. I have got my
eye on him. Not that there's anything definite; but you know, as well as
I do, how often servants are mixed up in affairs of this kind, and this
man is such a very quiet customer. You remember the case of Lord William
Russell's valet, who went in as usual in the morning to draw up the
blinds in his master's bedroom, as quiet an