leek.

"Yes, sir, sure as that I'm telling you so this minute."

"How do you fix the exact time?"

"As we came out of the covered passage Miss Renfrew looked at her
wrist-watch and says, impatient like, 'There, I've lost another two
minutes and am that much later for nothing. See! It's a quarter to
eight. Good night.' Then she cut off over the grounds and leaves me."

"La! la!" exclaimed Mrs. Armroyd approvingly. "There's the brave
heart, to come to mademoiselle's rescue so gallantly. But, yes, I
make you the cake of plums for that, _mon cher_. Monsieur of the
yard of Scotland, he can no more torture the poor stricken child
after that--not he."

But Cleek appeared to be less easy to convince than she had hoped,
for he pursued the subject still; questioning Gorham to needless
length it seemed; trying his best to trip him up, to shake his
statement, but always failing; and, indeed, going over the same
ground to such length that one might have thought he was endeavouring
to gain time. If he was, he certainly succeeded; for it was quite
fifteen minutes later when Mr. Narkom returned to the Round House,
and he was at it still. Indeed, he did not conclude to give it up
as a bad job until the superintendent came.

"Get it off all right, did you, Mr. Narkom?" he asked, glancing round
as he heard him enter.

"Quite all right, old chap. Right as rain--in every particular."

"Thanks very much. I'm having rather a difficult task of it, for our
friend the constable here corroborates Miss Renfrew's statement to
the hair; and yet I am absolutely positive that there is a mistake."

"There is no mistake--no, not one! The wicked one to say it still!"

"Oh, that's all very well, madame, but I know what I know; and when
you tell me that a dead man can ask questions--Pah! The fact of the
matter is the constable merely fancies he heard Mr. Nosworth speak.
That's where the mistake comes in. Now, look here! I once knew of
an exactly similar case and I'll tell you just how it happened. Let
us suppose"--strolling leisurely forward--"let us suppose that
this space here is the covered passage, and you, madame--step here
a moment, please. Thanks very much--and you are Miss Renfrew, and
Gorham here is himself, and standing beside her as he did then."

"Wasn't beside her, sir--at least not just exactly. A bit behind
her--like this."

"Oh, very well, then, that will do. Now, then. Here's the passage and
here are you, and I'll just show