orbed in the polished pinkness of the third
fingernail of his left hand.

A quarter of an hour later he was joined by young Glanedale.

"Found anything?" he enquired.

"There are some footprints," said Malcolm Sage, looking at him
keenly. "By the way, what did you do when you heard of the robbery?"

"I went to the Mater's room."

"And after that?"

"I rushed downstairs and started looking about."

"You didn't happen to come anywhere near this spot, or walk upon the
mould there?" He nodded at the place he had just been examining.

"No; as a matter of fact, I avoided it. The Mater warned me to be
careful."

Malcolm Sage nodded his head.

"Did the butler join you in your search?" he enquired.

"About five minutes later he did. He had to go back and put on some
things; he was rather sketchy when he turned up in the Mater's
room." Glanedale grinned at the recollection.

"And you?" Malcolm Sage flashed on him that steel grey look of
interrogation. For a moment the young man seemed embarrassed, and he
hesitated before replying.

"As a matter of fact, I hadn't turned in," he said at length.

"I see," said Malcolm Sage, and there was something in his tone that
caused Glanedale to look at him quickly.

"It was such a rippin' night that I sat at my bedroom window
smoking," he explained a little nervously.

"Which is your bedroom window?"

Glanedale nodded in the direction of the farther end of the house.

"That's the governor's dressing-room," he said, indicating the
window on the left of that through which the burglar had escaped,
"and the next is mine."

"Did you see anything?" enquired Malcolm Sage, who, having unscrewed
the mouthpiece of his pipe, proceeded to clean it with a blade of
grass.

Again there was the slightest suggestion of hesitation before
Glanedale replied.

"No, nothing. You see," he added hastily, "I was not looking out of
the window, merely sitting at it. As a matter of fact, I was facing
the other way."

"You heard no noise?"

Glanedale shook his head.

"So that the first intimation you had of anything being wrong was
what?" he asked.

"I heard the Mater at her door calling for assistance, and I went
immediately."

Malcolm Sage turned and regarded the water-pipe speculatively.

"I wonder if anyone really could climb up that," he said. "I'm sure
I couldn't."

"Nothing easier," said Glanedale. "I could shin up in two ticks,"
and he made a movement towards the pipe.

"N