cheeks. He was
sitting in his usual attitude, with arms folded, between Mr. Dobson
and one of the women in seedy black whose presence here had puzzled
every one.

Old Parker, ex-butler to Lord Radclyffe, was giving evidence. He had a
tale to tell, how Mr. de Mountford "went on awful" when he--the
innocent, well-drilled servant--had thought it his duty to introduce
Mr. Philip into his lordship's presence.

"Just think of it, your honour," he exclaimed, "his lordship's
rightful heir."

Then he added with calm effrontery:

"Mr. Luke 'e give me the sack then and there! He was that wild!"

Just a paltry, silly, meaningless revenge. The death-mask on Luke's
face relaxed for a moment when he looked on the fat creature standing
before the jury, vainly trying to look pompous and self-righteous, and
only succeeding in being a liar.

The evidence would have been of little worth, but for the
corroboration from other servants of the Grosvenor Square household.
The present two--man and wife--wastrels and drunkards, counted for
nothing: they had only entered Lord Radclyffe's service recently when
all visitors had ceased from calling at the inhospitable house, and
they had seen little or nothing of Luke; but the others--those whom
Philip's arbitrary temper had driven out of the house--they had many a
tale to tell of the dead man's arrogance, his contemptuous treatment
of his younger kinsman, and the bitter words that often flew between
the cousins, when doors closed and eavesdroppers were behind the
key-holes.

These witnesses--an ex-housekeeper, a footman, a maid--were trying
their best, poor things, to "do the right thing by Mr. Luke," little
guessing how ill they succeeded. They had been dragged into this much
against their will. As a class they hated the police and its doings,
even though the cook might occasionally show a preference for the
local guardian of peace and order. As for the detective in plain
clothes, the man who wore a peaked cap instead of the familiar
helmet, him they hated and feared, especially since he seemed to mean
mischief for Mr. Luke.

They gave their evidence unwillingly; every admission had to be
dragged out of them, once they realized that the revelations of past
quarrels between "the gentlemen" would not be to the detriment of the
dead, only perhaps to the undoing of the living.

The hours wore on wearily. The atmosphere now surcharged with the heat
from the gas brackets had become intolerab