arently they have come to no definite conclusion," Morriston
answered. "They seemed to have an idea, though--to account for the
problem of the locked door--that thieves might have got into the house
with the object of making a haul in the bedrooms while every one's
attention was engaged down below, have secreted themselves in the tower,
been surprised by Henshaw, and, to save themselves, have taken the only
effectual means of silencing him, poor fellow."

"Then how, with the door locked on the inside did they make their
escape?" Miss Morriston asked.

"That can so far be only a matter of conjecture," her brother answered,
with a shrug. "Of course they might have provided themselves with some
sort of ladder, but there are no signs of it. And the height of the
window in that top room is decidedly against the theory."

"We hear at the _Lion_" Kelson remarked, "that the brother, Gervase
Henshaw, is returning to-morrow or next day."

Morriston did not receive the news with any appearance of satisfaction.
"I hope he won't come fussing about here," he said, with a touch of
protest. "Making every allowance for the sudden shock under which he was
labouring I thought his attitude the other day most objectionable,
didn't you?"

"I did most certainly," Gifford answered promptly.

"His manners struck me as deplorable," Kelson agreed.

"Yes," their host continued. "It never seemed to occur to the fellow that
some little sympathy was due also to us. But he seemed rather to suggest
that the tragedy was our fault. In ordinary circumstances I should have
dealt pretty shortly with him. But it was not worth while."

"No," Kelson observed, "All the same, you need not allow a continuation
of his behaviour."

"I don't intend to," Morriston replied with decision. "I hope the man
won't want to come ferreting in the place; that may well be left to the
police; but if he does I can't very well refuse him leave. He must be
free of the house, or at any rate of the tower."

"Or," put in Kelson, "he'll have a grievance against you, and accuse you
of trying to burk the mystery."

"Is he a very objectionable person?" Miss Morriston asked. "We passed one
another in the hall as he left the house and I received what seemed a
rather unmannerly stare."

Her brother laughed. "My dear Edith, the type of man you would simply
loathe. Abnormally, unpleasantly sharp and suspicious; with a cleverness
which takes no account of tact or politeness, he qu