more and Marbury parted at Waterloo Bridge--very late. Waterloo
Bridge is pretty well next door to the Temple. But--how did Marbury get
into the Temple, unobserved? We've made every enquiry, and we can't
trace him in any way as regards that movement. There's a clue for his
going there in the scrap of paper bearing Breton's address, but even a
Colonial would know that no business was done in the Temple at
midnight, eh?"

"Well," said Spargo, "I've thought of one or two things. He may have
been one of those men who like to wander around at night. He may have
seen--he would see--plenty of lights in the Temple at that hour; he
may have slipped in unobserved--it's possible, it's quite possible. I
once had a moonlight saunter in the Temple myself after midnight, and
had no difficulty about walking in and out, either. But--if Marbury was
murdered for the sake of what he had on him--how did he meet with his
murderer or murderers in there? Criminals don't hang about Middle
Temple Lane."

The detective shook his head. He picked up his pencil and began making
more hieroglyphics.

"What's your theory, Mr. Spargo?" he asked suddenly. "I suppose you've
got one."

"Have you?" asked Spargo, bluntly.

"Well," returned Rathbury, hesitatingly, "I hadn't, up to now. But
now--now, after what you've told me, I think I can make one. It seems
to me that after Marbury left Aylmore he probably mooned about by
himself, that he was decoyed into the Temple, and was there murdered
and robbed. There are a lot of queer ins and outs, nooks and corners in
that old spot, Mr. Spargo, and the murderer, if he knew his ground
well, could easily hide himself until he could get away in the morning.
He might be a man who had access to chambers or offices--think how easy
it would be for such a man, having once killed and robbed his victim,
to lie hid for hours afterwards? For aught we know, the man who
murdered Marbury may have been within twenty feet of you when you first
saw his dead body that morning. Eh?"

Before Spargo could reply to this suggestion an official entered the
room and whispered a few words in the detective's ear.

"Show him in at once," said Rathbury. He turned to Spargo as the man
quitted the room and smiled significantly. "Here's somebody wants to
tell something about the Marbury case," he remarked. "Let's hope it'll
be news worth hearing."

Spargo smiled in his queer fashion.

"It strikes me that you've only got to interest an i