aid Manderson with his incriminating
pistol; that he carefully cleaned the said pistol, returned to the house
and, again without disturbing any one, replaced it in its case in a
favorable position to be found by the officers of the law; that he then
withdrew and spent the rest of the day in hiding--_with_ a large
motor-car; and that he turned up, feigning ignorance of the whole
affair, at--what time was it?"

"A little after nine P. M." The inspector still stared moodily
at Trent. "As you say, Mr. Trent, that is the first theory suggested by
this find, and it seems wild enough--at least it would do, if it didn't
fall to pieces at the very start. When the murder was done Marlowe must
have been fifty to a hundred miles away. He _did_ go to Southampton."

"How do you know?"

"I questioned him last night, and took down his story. He arrived in
Southampton about six-thirty on the Monday morning."

"Come off!" exclaimed Trent bitterly. "What do I care about his story?
What do you care about his story? I want to know how you _know_ he went
to Southampton."

Mr. Murch chuckled. "I thought I should take a rise out of you, Mr.
Trent," he said. "Well, there's no harm in telling you. After I arrived
yesterday evening, as soon as I had got the outlines of the story from
Mrs. Manderson and the servants, the first thing I did was to go to the
telegraph office and wire to our people in Southampton. Manderson had
told his wife when he went to bed that he had changed his mind, and sent
Marlowe to Southampton to get some important information from someone
who was crossing by the next day's boat. It seemed right enough; but you
see, Marlowe was the only one of the household who wasn't under my hand,
so to speak; he didn't return in the car until later in the evening; so
before thinking the matter out any further, I wired to Southampton
making certain inquiries. Early this morning I got this reply." He
handed a series of telegraph slips to Trent, who read:

Person answering description in motor answering description arrived
Bedford Hotel here 6:30 this morning gave name Marlowe left car
hotel garage told attendant car belonged Manderson had bath and
breakfast went out heard of later at docks inquiring for passenger
name Harris on Havre boat inquired repeatedly until boat left at
noon next heard of at hotel where he lunched about 1:15, left soon
afterwards in car company's agents inform berth was book