suppose that Miss Melhuish never, in
her own mind, abandoned the hope that some day the tangle would
straighten itself. Women are constituted that way. If her husband is now
dead, and she became free, she might wish to renew the old ties, but,
being proud, would want to ascertain first whether or not any other woman
had come into your life."

"I follow perfectly," said Grant, with some bitterness. "She would be
consumed with jealousy because my companion in the garden last night
happened to be a charming girl of nineteen."

"It is possible."

"So she went off and got someone to kill her, and tie her body with a
rope, and arrange a dramatic setting whereby it would be patent to the
meanest intelligence that I was the criminal?"

Mr. Fowler smiled, and looked fixedly at P.C. Robinson.

"No, no," he said, quite good-humoredly. "That would be carrying realism
to extremes. Still, I am convinced, Mr. Grant, that this mystery is bound
up in some way with your romance of three years ago. At present, I admit,
I am working in the dark."

He rose. Apparently, the interview was at an end. But, while pocketing
his note-book, he said suddenly:--

"The inquest will open at three o'clock tomorrow. You will be present, of
course, Mr. Grant?"

"I suppose it is necessary."

"Oh, yes. You found the body, you know. Besides, you may be the only
person who can give evidence of identity. In fact, you and the doctor
will be the only witnesses called."

"Dr. Foxton?"

"Yes."

"Has he made a post-mortem?"

"He is doing so now. You see, there is clear indication that this
unfortunate lady was struck a heavy blow, perhaps killed, before she was
put in the river."

"Good Heavens! Somehow, I was so stunned that I never thought of looking
for signs of any injury of that sort."

Grant's horror-stricken air was so spontaneous that it probably justified
the severe test of that unexpected disclosure. He was so unnerved by it
that the two policemen had gone before he could frame another question.

Once they were in the open road, and well away from The Hollies,
Robinson ventured to open his mouth.

"He's a clever one is Mr. Grant," he said meaningly. "You handled him a
bit of all right, sir, but he didn't tell you everything he knew, not by
long chalks."

The superintendent walked a few yards in silence. Even when he spoke, his
gaze was introspective, and seemed to ignore his companion.

"I'm inclined to agree with you, Robinson,