a short time before."

"Quite so," said Cleek. "That's what makes it appear stranger than
ever. Under the circumstances one might have expected him to say
_not_ 'What are you coming in here for,' but, 'What are you coming
in for _again_.' Still, of course, there's no accounting for little
lapses like that. Go on, please--what next?"

"Why, of course I immediately explained what Constable Gorham had
said, and why I had looked in. To which he replied, 'The man's an
ass. Get out!' Upon which I closed the door, and the constable and I
went away at once."

"Constable there with you during it all, then?"

"Yes, certainly--in the covered passage, just behind me. He saw and
heard everything; though, of course, neither of us actually entered
the laboratory itself. There was really no necessity when we knew
that my uncle was safe and sound, you see."

"Quite so," agreed Cleek. "So you shut the door and went away--and
then what?"

"Constable Gorham went back to his beat, and I flew as fast as I
could to meet Mr. Drummond. It is only a short way to the old bridge
at best, and by taking that short cut through the grounds, I was
there in less than ten minutes. And by half-past eight I was back
here in a greater state of terror than before."

"And why? Were you so much alarmed that Mr. Drummond did not keep
the appointment?"

"No. That did not worry me at all. He is often unable to keep his
appointments with me. He is filling the post of private secretary
to a large company promoter, and his time is not his own. What
terrified me was that, after waiting a few minutes for him, I
heard somebody running along the road, and a few moments later
Sir Ralph Droger flew by me as if he were being pursued. Under
ordinary circumstances I should have thought that he was getting
into training for the autumn sports (he is, you may know, very keen
on athletics, and holds the County Club's cup for running and
jumping), but when I remembered what Constable Gorham had said, and
saw that Sir Ralph was coming from the direction of this house, all
my wits flew; I got into a sort of panic and almost collapsed with
fright."

"And all because the man was coming from the direction of this house?"

"Not that alone," she answered with a shudder. "I have said that
I should under ordinary circumstances have thought he was merely
training for the autumn sports--for, you see, he was in a running
costume of white cotton stuff and his legs were bare from