ad dressed the
wounds--"

"Wounds?"

"There were two actually; I will tell you in a moment. I asked Lord
Lashmore for an explanation. He had given out, for the benefit of the
household, that, stumbling out of bed in the dark, he had tripped upon
a rug, so that he fell forward almost into the fireplace. There is a
rather ornate fender, with an elaborate copper scrollwork design, and
his account was that he came down with all his weight upon this, in
such a way that part of the copperwork pierced his throat. It was
possible, just possible, Cairn; but it didn't satisfy me and I could
see that it didn't satisfy Lady Lashmore. However, when we were alone,
Lashmore told me the real facts."

"He had been concealing the truth?"

"Largely for his wife's sake, I fancy. He was anxious to spare her the
alarm which, knowing the truth, she must have experienced. His story
was this--related in confidence, but he wishes that you should know.
He was awakened by a sudden, sharp pain in the throat; not very acute,
but accompanied by a feeling of pressure. It was gone again, in a
moment, and he was surprised to find blood upon his hands when he felt
for the cause of the pain.

"He got out of bed and experienced a great dizziness. The hemorrhage
was altogether more severe than he had supposed. Not wishing to arouse
his wife, he did not enter his dressing-room, which is situated
between his own room and Lady Lashmore's; he staggered as far as the
bell-push, and then collapsed. His man found him on the
floor--sufficiently near to the fender to lend colour to the story of
the accident."

Dr. Cairn coughed drily.

"Do you think it was attempted suicide after all, then?" he asked.

"No--I don't," replied Sir Elwin emphatically. "I think it was
something altogether more difficult to explain."

"Not attempted murder?"

"Almost impossible. Excepting Chambers, Lord Lashmore's valet, no one
could possibly have gained access to that suite of rooms. They number
four. There is a small boudoir, out of which opens Lady Lashmore's
bedroom; between this and Lord Lashmore's apartment is the
dressing-room. Lord Lashmore's door was locked and so was that of the
boudoir. These are the only two means of entrance."

"But you said that Chambers came in and found him."

"Chambers has a key of Lord Lashmore's door. That is why I said
'excepting Chambers.' But Chambers has been with his present master
since Lashmore left Cambridge. It's out of the qu