ded almost faultlessly. The accident at the docks prevented
the scheme being carried out in all its details, but it did not
entirely dislocate the murderer's arrangements, for it left us with no
better clew to his identity than the statuette of the cat."

"The presence of that statuette calls for some explanation, Gatton," I
said.

Gatton very carefully lighted his pipe.

"That is true," he admitted, "but I will come to this side of the case
later; at present I am summing up the evidence against Damar
Greefe--who is certainly the acting partner in this series of outrages
against the members of the house of Coverly. Observe the ingenuity of
the Red House plot.

"He hoped by this not only to bring about the death of Sir Marcus, but
also, by conviction for his murder, the death of the next heir, Mr.
Eric Coverly! In fact, so well was his plan conducted, that even
now--although we know poor Sir Eric to have been innocent--you will
note that he has been unable to establish an alibi even by a full
confession of his movements on the night of the crime! In other words,
if he had not fallen a victim to the precipitancy of his enemies,
to-day his name would be under as black a cloud as ever. It was with
the idea of clearing him that I caused those paragraphs to be
distributed to the press, in which I anticipated the existence of
such a confession as he had actually made--but, I may add, of one more
convincing than that which we heard Miss Merlin read."

"Do you mean, Gatton," I said, looking hard at him, "that by
professing to have established the innocence of Eric Coverly, you
hoped to draw down upon him the renewed activities of his enemies?"

Gatton looked rather guilty, but:

"I do admit it!" he said. "Nevertheless he did not fall a victim to
this trap which I had laid for him in his own best interests. After
all, you must admit that his death was an accident; for he suffered
the penalty of your misdeeds."

"My misdeeds!" I cried.

Gatton smiled grimly.

"I say misdeeds," he continued--"although they were not conscious on
your part. But it is fairly evident, I think, that whereas the unknown
partner of Dr. Damar Greefe was an active enemy of the Coverlys
(witness the evidence of 'the voice' and of the cat statuette), it is
to Dr. Damar Greefe _himself_ that you are indebted for the three
attempts on your life; the first two at Upper Crossleys and the third
here in your own home by the simple but deadly expedient