somewhere abroad--so that
she can be rid of her husband for a month or so. I can see the reason
plain enough. She's got some little game to play. Faugh!" cried the
old man, "such women only fill one with disgust."

I went on to tell him of the verdict upon the death of Mrs. Courtenay,
and his manner instantly changed to one of sympathy.

"Poor Henry!" he exclaimed. "Poor little woman! I wonder that nothing
has transpired to give the police a clue. To my mind, Boyd, there was
some mysterious element in Courtenay's life that he entirely hid from
his friends. In later years he lived in constant dread of
assassination."

"Yes, that has always struck me as strange," I remarked.

"Has nothing yet been discovered?" asked my chief. "Didn't the police
follow that manservant Short?"

"Yes, but to no purpose. They proved to their own satisfaction that he
was innocent."

"And your friend Jevons--the tea-dealer who makes it a kind of hobby
to assist the police. What of him? Has he continued his activity?"

"I believe so. He has, I understand, discovered a clue."

"What has he found?" demanded the old man, bending forward in
eagerness across the table. He had been devoted to his friend
Courtenay, and was constantly inquiring of me whether the police had
met with any success.

"At present he will tell me nothing," I replied.

Sir Bernard gave vent to an exclamation of dissatisfaction, observing
that he hoped Jevons' efforts would meet with success, as it was
scandalous that a double tragedy of that character could occur in a
civilized community without the truth being revealed and the assassin
arrested.

"There's no doubt that the tragedy was a double one," I observed.
"Although the jury have returned a verdict of 'Found Drowned' in the
widow's case, the facts, even as far as at present known, point
undoubtedly to murder."

"To murder!" he cried. "Then is it believed that she's been wilfully
drowned?"

"That is the local surmise."

"Why?" he asked, with an eager look upon his countenance, for he took
the most intense interest in every feature of the affair.

"Well, because it is rumoured that she had been seen late one night
walking along the river-bank, near the spot where she was found,
accompanied by a strange man."

"A strange man?" he echoed, his interest increased. "Did anyone see
him sufficiently close to recognise him?"

"I believe not," I answered, hesitating at that moment to tell him all
I knew. "Th