I couldn't say exactly,' replied Mrs. Chapman with some hesitation.
'You see this is the off season here. None of my rooms are let, except
the one to Mr. Skinner, and I only have one servant. I keep four during
the summer, autumn, and winter season,' she added with conscious pride,
fearing that her former statement might prejudice the reputation of
Russell House. 'I thought I had heard Mr. Skinner go out about nine
o'clock, but about an hour later the girl and I were both in the
basement, and we heard the front door open and shut with a bang, and
then a step in the hall.

"'"That's Mr. Skinner," said Mary. "So it is," I said, "why, I thought
he had gone an hour ago." "He did go out then," said Mary, "for he left
his bedroom door open and I went in to do his bed and tidy his room."
"Just go and see if that's him, Mary," I said, and Mary ran up to the
hall and up the stairs, and came back to tell me that that was Mr.
Skinner all right enough; he had gone straight up to his room. Mary
didn't see him, but he had another gentleman with him, as she could hear
them talking in Mr. Skinner's room.'

"'Then you can't tell us at what time the prisoner left the house
finally?'

"'No, that I can't. I went out shopping soon after that. When I came in
it was twelve o'clock. I went up to the third floor and found that Mr.
Skinner had locked his door and taken the key with him. As I knew Mary
had already done, the room I did not trouble more about it, though I did
think it strange for a gentleman to look up his room and not leave the
key with me.'

"'And, of course, you heard no noise of any kind in the room then?'

"'No. Not that day or the next, but on the third day Mary and I both
thought we heard a funny sound. I said that Mr. Skinner had left his
window open, and it was the blind flapping against the window-pane; but
when we heard that funny noise again I put my ear to the keyhole and I
thought I could hear a groan. I was very frightened, and sent Mary for
the police.'

"Mrs. Chapman had nothing more of interest to say. The prisoner
certainly was her lodger. She had last seen him on the evening of the
16th going up to his room with his candle. Mary the servant had much the
same story to relate as her mistress.

"'I think it was 'im, right enough,' said Mary guardedly. 'I didn't see
'im, but I went up to 'is landing and stopped a moment outside 'is door.
I could 'ear loud voices in the room--gentlemen talking.'

"'I suppos