thing about it."

"Why?"

"Because I accomplished the feat with the aid of the little night-lamp
that I found by the colonel's bedside. It is my theory that Mrs. Maynard
was restless after the colonel finally fell asleep, that she heard your
tumble, and took her little lamp, crossed over into Miss Renwick's
room, opened the door without creaking, as I can do to your
satisfaction, found her sleeping quietly, but the room a trifle close
and warm, set her night-lamp down on the table, as I did, threw her
shadow on the wall, as I did, and opened the shade, as you thought her
daughter did. Then she withdrew, and left those doors open,--both hers
and her daughter's,--and the light, instead of being turned down, as you
thought, was simply carried back into her own room."

"That is all possible. But how about the man in her room? Nothing was
stolen, though money and jewelry were lying around loose. If theft was
not the object, what was?"

"Theft certainly was not, and I'm not prepared to say what was, but I
have reason to believe it wasn't Miss Renwick."

"Anything to prove it?"

"Yes; and, though time is precious and I cannot show you, you may take
my word for it. We must be off at noon, and both of us have much to do,
but there may be no other chance to talk, and before you leave this post
I want you to realize her utter innocence."

"I want to, Armitage."

"I know you do: so look here. We assume that the same man paid the night
visit both here and at Sablon, and that he wanted to see the same
person,--if he did not come to steal: do we not?"

"Yes."

"We know that at Sablon it was Mrs. Maynard he sought and called. The
colonel says so."

"Yes."

"Presumably, then, it was she--not her daughter--he had some reasons for
wanting to see here at Sibley. What is more, if he wanted to see Miss
Renwick there was nothing to prevent his going right into her window?"

"Nothing."

"Well, I believe I can prove he didn't; on the contrary, that he went
around by the roof of the porch to the colonel's room and tried there,
but found it risky on account of the blinds, and that finally he entered
the hall window,--what might be called neutral ground. The painters had
been at work there, as you said, two days before, and the paint on the
slats was not quite dry. The blinds and sills were the only things they
had touched up on that front, it seems, and nothing on the sides. Now,
on the fresh paint of the colonel's slats are th