bberies beneath them by the
falling in of Rob Walford's old dove-cot, the ancient walls and timber
roof of which had completely collapsed under the force of the explosion.

Over the actual area of the wreckage everything was still as death, save
for a faint crackling where some loose wood was just catching fire.
Starmidge began to make his way towards it.

"The thing is," he said mechanically, "the thing is, the thing is--yes,
is--was--there anybody here--anybody here! We must have lights."

And just then as he came to where the burst of flame was growing
bigger, and Polke with a body of firemen and constables came hurrying
through a gap in the lower wall, he caught sight of a man's face, turned
up to the half-light. Easleby saw it at the same time--together they
went nearer. And Starmidge bent down and found himself looking at
Gabriel Chestermarke.

"Him!" he whispered. "Then he came--here!"

"He's gone, anyway," muttered Easleby. "Dead as can be!" He lifted
himself erect and called to Polke who was making his way towards them.
"Bring a lantern!" he said. "There's a dead man here!"

"And keep the crowd out," called Starmidge. "Keep everybody out--while
we look round."

But at that moment he caught sight of Betty Fosdyke, who, with Lord
Ellersdeane in close attendance, had made her way into the garden and
was clambering towards him. Starmidge stepped back to her.

"Hadn't you better go back?" he urged. "There'll be unpleasant sights.
Do go back!--amongst the trees, anyway. We've found one dead man
already, and there'll probably be----"

"No!" she said firmly. "I won't! Not until I know who's here. Because I
think--I'm afraid Mr. Neale may be here. I must--I will stop! I'm not
afraid. Whose body have you found?"

"Gabriel Chestermarke's," replied Starmidge quietly. "Dead!
And--whoever's here, Miss Fosdyke, I don't see how he can possibly be
alive. Do go back and let us search."

But Betty turned away and began to search, climbing from one mass of
wreckage to another. Presently an exclamation from her brought the
others hurriedly to her side. She pointed between two slabs of stone.

"There!" she whispered. "A man's--face!"

Starmidge turned to Lord Ellersdeane.

"Get her away--aside--anywhere--for a minute!" he muttered. "Let's see
what condition he's in, anyway. The other--was blown to pieces."

Lord Ellersdeane took a firm grip of Betty's arm and turned her round.

"That was not--Mr. Neale?" he asked.