of
the alacrity with which he acceded to Maillot's request; think of his
sly chuckles and furtive manner, of his attitude during the whole of
that remarkable conference, and tell me what it means if he, too,
didn't intend palming off the false stone on you? Maillot and Miss
Belle once married, then the young man--in complete innocence, to be
sure--would have handed you, not the ruby, but--the replica."

Slowly the dull look died out in Alfred Fluette's eyes, and in spite of
his distress, his face flushed darkly with anger.

"The hound!" he muttered through his clenched teeth. "What a dupe I
've been. But," he added, with kindling interest, "where _is_ the
ruby, then?"

"Ah, precisely. That's what I would like to know myself. I think,
however, I have the key that will unlock its hiding-place, when I learn
how to use it." And I showed him the cipher. He shook his head over
it; it was utterly meaningless to him.

There was one phase of our conference concerning which I insisted that
the wretched man be minutely circumstantial. Our talk touching upon
this point was much too painful for me to reproduce here in its
entirety; but after I had almost literally dragged from him every
minute detail of the actual tragedy, I felt justified in offering a
word of encouragement.

It is sufficient simply to record now the point brought out, to
supplement it with certain details acquired from Burke, and to state
that it had a vital bearing upon the outcome of the case. The Page
affair was by no means closed yet.

When Mr. Fluette struck the blow with the candlestick he was standing
at the angle of the balustrade nearest the rooms which Burke and
Maillot were occupying. Mr. Page was facing in that direction--that
is, toward the west--and consequently his left side was opposed to the
balustrade. Such were the respective positions of the two men at the
instant the candlestick was snatched from the floor.

Immediately after the blow was struck both Burke and Fluette were
thrown into a panic. The latter at once ran wildly down the front
stairs, stumbling over the body on the landing, and out at the front
door and away. Burke followed hastily after him, his teeth chattering
with fright, and promptly bolted the front door. The act was
accomplished so soon after the flight that Fluette, overcome with
horror at his deed, distinctly heard the bolt shoot while he was
speeding down the walk.

Burke had already informed me t