hardly say that I had," the girl replied; "although a friend has
told me that I played tennis with him at a garden-party some years ago."

"A circumstance which you do not recollect?" The question was put
politely, even sympathetically, yet with a certain uncomfortable
directness.

"No," Muriel answered. "Even when I was reminded of it, my recollection
was of the vaguest description. So far as that goes I could neither admit
nor deny it with any certainty."

"And naturally you never, to your knowledge, saw or communicated with the
deceased man since?"

Muriel flushed. "No; absolutely no," she returned with a touch of
resentment at the suggestion.

Major Freeman forbore to distress the girl by any further questioning.
"Thank you," he said simply. "I am sorry to have even appeared to suggest
such a thing, but you and your friends will appreciate that it was my
duty to ask these questions. This looks at the moment," he continued,
addressing himself now to the party in general, "like proving a very
mysterious, and I will add, peculiarly delicate affair. The medical
evidence is inclined to scout the idea of suicide, and my men who have
the case in hand are coming round to the conclusion that the theory is
untenable."

"The locked door--" Morriston suggested.

"The locked door," said Major Freeman, "presents a difficulty, but still
one not absolutely incapable of solution. We know," he added, with a
faint smile, "from the way the door was eventually opened, that a key can
be turned from the other side, given the right instrument to effect it."

"Which only a burglar or a locksmith would be likely to have," Kelson
suggested.

Major Freeman nodded. "Quite so. I am not for a moment suggesting that as
an explanation of the mystery. It goes naturally much deeper than that.
Mr. Gervase Henshaw is to look into his brother's affairs and papers
while in town, and I am hoping that on his return here he may be able to
give some information which will afford a clue on which we can work. In
the meantime my men are not relaxing their efforts in this rather
baffling case."

"In which," Morriston suggested, "this new piece of evidence does not
afford any useful clue."

Major Freeman smiled, a little awkwardly, it seemed. "If anything, it
would appear to complicate the problem still further," he replied
guardedly. "Still, I am very glad to have it, and thank you for informing
me so promptly. Miss Tredworth may rest assured that