tily.

"What did you do after she left you?"

"I stayed vere I vath--until the rain commenthed."

"Did you see any one else?"

"No one at allth."

"Thank you," said the inspector. "Please leave me your address, in case
I should want to ask you any further questions."

The financier produced a card with trembling fingers.

CHAPTER XI

THE CLERGYMAN

"Mr. Delamere," said the inspector, "you discovered the body?"

"I did," replied the clergyman, with a shiver.

"Were you alone when you found it?"

"Yes. I had been walking with Mr. Bolsover for about quarter of an hour.
Then he turned back to find some of the others, and I strolled on to the
river."

"Did you meet any one else?"

"No."

"You saw nothing of this young man, Layton, who was chased towards the
river by Mr. Bolsover?"

"Nothing whatever."

"No sounds of a struggle?"

"No. I heard nothing."

"Was the body lying in your path?"

"No. Some distance aside. I saw something white on the ground in one of
the lightning flashes, and went to see what it was."

"I shall have to ask you to return here at ten o'clock, to show me the
exact spot."

"Certainly."

"Thank you, Mr. Delamere."

CHAPTER XII

MR. BOLSOVER

"My God!" exclaimed the manager, "what an appalling business!"

"It is," the inspector agreed shortly.

"She was to have appeared at my theater, too," said the manager
ruefully.

"I understand that you found Layton sneaking about the house?"

"Yes. I first strolled out with Mr. Delamere. Then I left him, and went
back to see where the others had got to, and saw Layton creeping round
the side of the house towards the open drawing-room windows. He heard my
footsteps on the path, and bolted."

"To the river?"

"Yes. I shouted for Mr. Copplestone, but there was no answer--so I
followed him."

"You are quite certain it was Layton?"

"Perfectly. I saw his face in the light of the windows, and he was
wearing the peculiar kind of slouch hat he had carried when he came into
the room."

"Apparently no one saw him in the garden except yourself."

"Unfortunately not. I met the Frenchman, Monsieur Dupont, a little way
from the river--but he had not seen him."

"It was a pity you did not manage to catch him," the inspector remarked.

"Confound it, yes! But it was easy to get away in such a garden as this.
There wasn't a chance of finding him."

"What did you do, after meeting Monsieur Dupont?"

"We went on