disease in later
years, and ultimately died from it. Her illness was a source of great
worry and anxiety to Sir James. And epilepsy is hereditary."

"Pathologists differ on that point. I know something of the disease, and
I doubt whether Penreath is an epileptic. He showed none of the symptoms
which I have always associated with epilepsy."

"An eminent specialist like Sir Henry is hardly likely to be mistaken.
The fact that Penreath seemed a sane and collected individual to your
eye proves nothing. Epileptic attacks are intermittent, and the sufferer
may appear quite sane between the attacks. Epilepsy is a remarkable
disease. A latent tendency to it may exist for years without those
nearest and dearest to the sufferer suspecting it, so Sir Henry says.
Penreath's case is a very strange and sad one."

"It is a strange case in very way," said Colwyn earnestly. "Why should a
young man like Penreath go over to this remote Norfolk village, where he
had not been before, and murder an old man whom he had never seen
previously? The police theory that this murder was committed for the
sake of L300 which the victim had drawn out of the bank that day seems
incredible to me, in the case of a young man like Penreath."

"The only way of accounting for the whole unhappy business is on Sir
Henry's hypothesis that Penreath is mad. In acute epileptic mania there
are cases in which there is a seeming calmness of conduct, and these are
the most dangerous of all. The patient walks about like a man in a
dream, impelled by a force which he cannot resist, and does all sorts of
things without conscious purpose. He will take long walks to places he
has never been, will steal money or valuables, and commit murder or
suicide with apparent coolness and cunning. Sir Henry describes this as
automatic action, and he says that it is a notable characteristic of
the form of epileptic mania from which Penreath is suffering. You will
observe that these symptoms fit in with all the facts of the case
against Penreath. The facts, unfortunately, are so clear that there is
no gainsaying them."

"It seems so now," said Colwyn thoughtfully. "Yet, when I was
investigating the facts at the time, I came across several points which
seemed to suggest the possibility of an alternative theory to the police
theory."

"I should like to know what those points are."

"I will tell you."

The detective proceeded to set forth the result of his visit to the inn,
and t