r the
visitor come away, and 'e asked me for a light."

"What did he seem like then?"

"I thought 'e'd been drinking, sir. His face was all queer, and pale,
and moist-like, and 'is 'and shook like anything when he lighted 'is
cigarette."

"Mr. de Mountford did not come out with him?"

"No, sir, not just then, but 'e come out of the smoking room a moment
or two later, whilst 'is visitor was still in the 'all. Mr. de
Mountford 'e was quite calm, sir, didn't look at all as if 'e'd been
'aving a quarrel. 'E'd his cigar between 'is lips, his 'at on, and 'is
overcoat over 'is arm."

"Did he speak to the visitor then?"

"Not right away, sir. 'E seemed to be 'esitating like at first, then
'e came forward and 'e says: 'I am going back to Grosvenor Square now.
Would you like to see Uncle Rad about this business yourself? But I
warn you that 'e is of the same mind as myself.'"

"And what did the other gentleman say?"

"'E just kind o' laughed and shrugged his shoulders and said: 'I've no
doubt of that.'"

"Then after that did they agree to go to Grosvenor Square together?"

"I don't rightly know, sir, if the two gentlemen said anything about
that, but the visitor 'e went out first, and Mr. de Mountford followed
'im into the outer lobby. Then 'e turned and spoke to me."

"Who did?"

"Mr. de Mountford, sir; the other gentleman wasn't a yard away from
'im and must 'ave 'eard every word 'e said."

"What did he say?"

"'E said to me: 'Power, I say, you've no business to allow people to
enter the club rooms like that. You must keep them waiting in the
'all, one will get hopelessly pestered by beggars at this rate.' Them
were Mr. de Mountford's very words, sir, I'd take my Bible oath to
every one of 'em; and the other gentleman 'e was in the outer lobby,
sir, and 'e must 'ave 'eard every syllable. I caught sight of 'is face
and, my word, there was murder in 'is eye."

"That'll do, Power," admonished Sir Thomas, thus checking the man's
flow of excited eloquence.

"Very good, sir," replied the other humbly.

"And after that what happened?"

"Both gentlemen went off, sir. I tried to look after 'em but the fog
was that thick one couldn't see one's 'and before one's eyes."

"So you lost sight of them just outside the club-house?"

"That's right, sir."

"And did you see either of these two gentlemen since then?"

"No, sir." And the man's voice dropped to a solemn whisper. "Mr. de
Mountford was murdered in a taxica