alcolm gets L1,000 a year to support him during the life time of
Lady Cromarty, and afterwards falls heir to the whole estate. He
therefore gains a baronetcy and L1,000 a year immediately, and the
estate is brought a stage nearer him. Miss Farmond gets a legacy of
L2,000. She therefore gained L2,000."

"Not that she'll need it," said Ned quickly. "That item doesn't count."

Simon looked at him curiously.

"Why not?" he enquired.

Ned hesitated a moment.

"Perhaps I oughtn't to have said anything," he said, "but this
conversation is confidential, and anyhow the fact will be known soon
enough now, I guess. She is engaged to Sir Malcolm."

For a moment Simon continued to look at him very hard. Then he merely
said:

"Indeed?"

"Of course you won't repeat this till they care to make it known
themselves. I told you so that you'd see a legacy of two thousand pounds
wouldn't count much. It only means an income of--what?"

"One hundred pounds at five per cent; eighty pounds at four."

"Well, that will be neither here nor there now."

Again Simon stared in silence for a moment, but rather through than at
his visitor, it seemed. Then he glanced down at the document again.

"James Bisset gets a legacy of three hundred pounds. There are a few
smaller legacies to servants, but the only two that might have affected
this case do not actually do so. One is John Robertson, Sir Reginald's
chauffeur, but on the night of the crime he was away from home and an
alibi can be established till two in the morning. The other is Donald
Mackay, the gardener, but he is an old man and was in bed with
rheumatism that night."

"I see," observed Ned, "you are giving everybody mentioned in the will
credit for perhaps having committed the murder, supposing it was
physically possible?"

"I am answering the question--who that could conceivably have committed
it, had a motive for doing so? And also, what was that motive?"

"Is that the whole list of them?"

Mr. Rattar glanced at the will again.

"Sir Reginald has cancelled your own debt of twelve hundred pounds, Mr.
Cromarty."

"What!" exclaimed Ned, and for a moment could say no more. Then he said
in a low voice: "It's up to me more than ever!"

"That is the full list of persons within the vicinity two nights ago who
gained by Sir Reginald's death," said Simon in a dry voice, as he put
away the will.

"Including me?" said Ned. "Well, all I've got to say is this, Mr.
Rattar, that my