ht they made vinegar."

"Perhaps they do," I replied. "We shall know when we drink it."

Joyce laughed, and sitting down beside me, poured me out a cup of tea.
"You've read Tommy's letter," she said. "What do you think about it?"

I took a long drink. "From the little I've seen of Mr. Bruce Latimer,"
I said, "I should put him down as being one of the most accomplished
liars in England." I paused. "At the same time," I added, "I think
he's a fine fellow. I like his face."

Joyce nodded her head. "But you don't believe his story?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "It may be true," I said. "Tommy seems
to think so anyhow. If it is, things are a bit simpler than I
imagined--that's all."

"And if it isn't?" said Joyce.

"Ah!" said I, "if it isn't--"

I left the sentence unfinished, and helped myself to a second bit of
bread and butter.

There was a short silence.

"Tell me about George, Joyce," I went on. "What are these particular
dark doings that Tommy's hinting about?"

Joyce leaned forward with her chin on her hands, her blue eyes fixed
on mine.

"Neil," she said slowly, "I've found out something at last--something
I thought I was never going to. I know who the man was in Marks's
rooms on the day that he was murdered."

I was so surprised that I gulped down a mouthful of nearly boiling
tea.

"I wish you'd break these things more gently, Joyce," I said. "Who was
it?"

"It was Dr. McMurtrie."

I put down the teacup and stared at her in the blankest amazement.

"Dr. McMurtrie!" I repeated incredulously.

She nodded. "Listen, and I'll tell you exactly how it all happened. I
dined with George, as you know, at the Savoy on Friday, and we went
into the whole business of my going away with him. He has got that
twelve thousand pounds, Neil; there's no doubt about it. He showed me
the entry in his pass-book and the acknowledgment from the bank, and
he even offered to write me a cheque for a couple of hundred right
away, to buy clothes with for the trip."

"From what I remember of George," I said, "he must be desperately in
love with you."

Joyce gave a little shiver of disgust. "Of course I let him think I
was giving way. I wanted to find out where the money had come from,
but try as I would, I couldn't get him to tell me. That makes me feel
so certain there's something wrong about it. In the end I arranged to
dine with him again tomorrow night, when I said I'd give him my final
answer. On Saturday morning, ho