ge of the window."

"Very good, Sprules. We may consider that point settled," Major
Freeman said.

Having finally satisfied themselves as to the cause of the stains on the
floor and sofa, the chief constable and his subordinate proposed to go to
the lake and see whether the men who were dragging it had had any
success. Morriston and Henshaw with Kelson and Gifford accompanied them.
As they came in sight of the boat the detective exclaimed, "They have
found it!" and the men were seen hauling up a rope out of the water.

"Sooner than I expected," Major Freeman observed as they hurried towards
the nearest point to the boat.

The rope when landed proved to be of considerable length, sufficient when
doubled, they calculated, to reach from the topmost window to within five
or six feet of the ground.

"The escaping person," Henshaw said, "must have slid down the doubled
rope which had been passed through the staple of the window, and then
when the ground was reached have pulled it away, coiled it up, carried it
to the lake, and thrown it in. Obviously that was the procedure and it
accounts completely for the locked door."

The chief constable and the detective agreed.

"A man would want some nerve to come down from that height," the
latter remarked.

"Any man, or woman either for that matter," Henshaw returned
dogmatically, "would not hesitate to take the risk as an alternative to
being trapped up there with his victim."

"You are not suggesting it might have been a woman who was seen sliding
down the rope?" Gifford asked pointedly.

Henshaw shrugged. "I suggest nothing as to the person's identity," he
replied in a sharply guarded tone. "That is now what remains to be
discovered."

CHAPTER XVIII

THE LOST BROOCH

The police authorities with Henshaw and Morriston went off with the rope
to experiment in the room of the tragedy.

"I don't suppose we are wanted," Kelson said quietly to Gifford; "let's
go for a turn round the garden. I wonder where Muriel has got to."

They found Miss Tredworth on the lawn. "I am waiting for Edith," she
said.

"We'll stroll on and Gifford can bring Miss Morriston after us," Kelson
suggested, and the lovers moved away, leaving Gifford, much to his
satisfaction, waiting for Edith Morriston.

In a few minutes she made her appearance. Gifford mentioned the
arrangement and they strolled off by the path the others had taken.

It seemed to Gifford that his companion's manne