es and gazed on him amazedly.

"I was there."

"_Where_, in Heaven's name?"

"On the roof outside the garret. I looked in and saw the body
lying."

"You were on the roof--you looked in and saw the body--" Mr. Rogers
repeated the words stupidly, automatically, searching for speech of
his own. "Man alive, how came you on the roof? What were you doing
there?"

"We were billeted three doors away," said Archibald, and paused.
"I can tell you no more just now."

"'We'?"

"That man and I." He pointed at Leicester.

"And you looked in. What else did you see?" Mr. Rogers's voice was
sharp.

"That I cannot tell you."

"The murderer?"

"No: not the murderer," he answered slowly.

"Then what? Whom?"

"I have said that I cannot tell you."

"But he can, sir!" I cried recklessly. "He saw _me_! I had just
found the body and was standing beside it when he looked in."
I stopped, panting. It seemed as if all the breath in me had escaped
for the moment with my confession.

Mr. Rogers turned from me to Archibald. "I think I see. You
supposed the boy to be guilty, and helped him to get away."

"No," answered Archibald, "I did not think him guilty. I did not
know what to think. And it was he who helped me to get away."

"Why should he help you to get away?"

"I will tell that--but not to you. I will tell it to my wife."

Isabel had risen from her knees. She went to him and would have
taken his hand. "Not yet," he said hoarsely, and turned from her.

Mr. Rogers eyed the Rector in despair. But the Rector merely shook
his head.

"But confound it all! Where's the murderer, in all this?"

"Sakes alive! Isn't that as clear as daylight?" interjected Miss
Belcher. "Didn't I let him out of the window more than an hour ago?
And isn't Hodgson foundering my mare at this moment in chase of him?
See here, Jack," she went on judicially, "you've played one or two
neat strokes to-night: but one or two neat strokes don't make a
professional. You'll have to give up this justicing. You've no head
for it."

"Indeed?" retorted Mr. Rogers. "Then since it seems you see deeper
into this business than most of us, perhaps you'll favour us with
your advice."

"With all the pleasure in life, my son," said the lady. "I can see
holes in a ladder: but I don't look deep into a brick wall, for the
reason that I don't try. There's some secret between Mr. Plinlimmon
and this boy. What it is I don't know, and you don