mething before he suspects me."

Mitchington glanced at the clock.

"Come with us down to the station," he said. "Dr. Ransford's coming in
on this express from town; he's got news for us. We'd better hear that
first. Folliot!--good Lord!--who'd have believed or even dreamed it!"

"You'll see," said Glassdale as they went out.

"Maybe Dr. Ransford's got the same information." Ransford was out of
the train as soon as it ran in, and hurried to where Mitchington and
his companions were standing. And behind him, to Mitchington's surprise,
came old Simpson Harker, who had evidently travelled with him. With
a silent gesture Mitchington beckoned the whole party into an empty
waiting-room and closed its door on them.

"Now then, inspector," said Ransford without preface or ceremony,
"you've got to act quickly! You got my wire--a few words will explain
it. I went up to town this morning in answer to a message from the bank
where Braden lodged his money when he returned to England. To tell you
the truth, the managers there and myself have, since Braden's death,
been carrying to a conclusion an investigation which I began on Braden's
behalf--though he never knew of it--years ago. At the bank I met Mr.
Harker here, who had called to find something out for himself. Now
I'll sum things up in a nutshell: for years Braden, or Brake, had been
wanting to find two men who cheated him. The name of one is Wraye, of
the other, Flood. I've been trying to trace them, too. At last we've got
them. They're in this town, and without doubt the deaths of both Braden
and Collishaw are at their door! You know both well enough. Wraye is-"

"Mr. Folliot!" interrupted Mitchington, pointing to Glassdale. "So he's
just told us; he's identified him as Wraye. But the other--who's he,
doctor?"

Ransford glanced at Glassdale as if he wished to question him, but
instead he answered Mitchington's question.

"The other man," he said, "the man Flood, is also a well-known man to
you. Fladgate!"

Mitchington started, evidently more astonished than by the first news.

"What!" he exclaimed. "The verger! You don't say!"

"Do you remember," continued Ransford, "that Folliot got Fladgate his
appointment as verger not so very long after he himself came here? He
did, anyway, and Fladgate is Flood. We've traced everything through
Flood. Wraye has been a difficult man to trace, because of his residence
abroad for a long time and his change of name, and so on, and