f all I am likely to do without a little assistance from
somebody in possession of rather more authentic facts than my friend
Miss Peterkin and her visitors."

"I quite understand," said the lawyer; and it was plain that his
interest was now thoroughly enlisted.

"Well," continued Mr. Carrington, "I thought things over, and rightly or
wrongly, I came to this decision. My employer, whoever he is, has made
it an absolute condition that his name is not to be known. His reasons
may have been the best imaginable, but it obviously made it impossible
for me to get any information out of _him_. For my own reasons I always
prefer to make my enquiries in these cases in the guise of an
unsuspected outsider, whenever it is possible; and it happens to be
particularly possible in this case, since nobody here knows me from
Adam. But I must get facts--as distinguished from the Kings Arms'
gossip, and how was I to get them without giving myself away? That was
the problem, and I soon realised that it was insoluble. I saw I must
confide in somebody, and so I came to the decision to confide in you."

Simon nodded and made a sound that seemed to indicate distinctly his
opinion that Mr. Carrington had come to a sensible decision.

"You were the obvious person for several reasons," resumed Carrington.
"In the first place you could pretty safely be regarded as above
suspicion yourself--if you will pardon my associating even the word
suspicion with a Procurator Fiscal." He smiled his most agreeable smile
and the Fiscal allowed his features to relax sympathetically. "In the
second place you know more about the case than anybody else. And in the
third place, I gather that you are--if I may say so, a gentleman of
unusual discretion."

Again he smiled pleasantly, and again Mr. Rattar's features relaxed.

"Finally," added Carrington, "I thought it long odds that you were
either actually my employer or acting for him, and therefore I should
be giving nothing away by telling you my business. And when I mentioned
Keldale House and the murder I saw that I was right!"

He laughed, and Simon permitted himself to smile. Yet his answer was as
cautious as ever.

"Well, Mr. Carrington?" said he.

"Well," said Carrington, "if you actually are my employer and we both
lay our cards on the table, there's much to be gained, and--if I may say
so--really nothing to be lost. I won't give you away if you won't give
me."

The lawyer's nod seemed to imply em