e conviction, there was no proof
whatever, and therefore I do not think myself justified in saying what
that opinion was."

"Do you entertain the same opinion yourself?"

"I do," Mark said emphatically; "but until I can obtain some evidence in
support of what is really but a matter of opinion, and because, were I
to give the name, it would lessen my chance of obtaining such evidence,
I decline to mention the name."

"You have no doubt that the author of the second attempt is the same as
that of the first?"

"Personally, I have no doubt whatever; it stands to reason that it is
barely possible that two men could have, unknown to each other, made up
their minds to murder my father on the same evening."

The constable's evidence added nothing to that given by Mark. He had
been down to the lane where the man pursued had mounted. The reins of
the horse had apparently been thrown over a gatepost, and he thought it
had been standing there for some little time, for there were marks where
it had scraped the ground repeatedly. He had followed the marks of its
hoofs for some distance; it had gone at a gallop for about half a mile,
and then the pace had slackened into a trot. It continued until the
lane fell into the main road, but beyond this he had been unable to
distinguish it from the marks of the traffic in general.

"You found no footprints whatever near the foot of the ladder, or
anywhere else round the house?"

"None whatever, sir."

"There were no signs of any other window or door save that of Mr.
Thorndyke's room being attempted?"

"None at all, sir."

There was but a short consultation between the jurors, who at once
returned a verdict of "Willful murder by some person or persons
unknown."

Dr. Holloway had, after giving evidence, returned at once to Mr.
Bastow's room. The only point of importance in his evidence was the
statement that the wound must have been fatal at once, the heart itself
having been penetrated. It had been inflicted by a dagger or a narrow
bladed knife.

"Do you mean that it was an unusually small dagger, Dr. Holloway?"

"I should say it was a very fine dagger; not the sort of weapon that you
would expect to find a highwayman carry, if he carried one at all, but
rather a weapon of Spanish or Italian manufacture."

"Not the sort of wound that a rapier would make?"

"Yes, the wound itself might have been very well made by a light rapier,
but there was a slight bruise on the flesh on