how positive he was about it--if what he says is
true, that old Herapath was shot, and died, at, or just before
(certainly not after, he positively asserted), twelve o'clock midnight,
it was not he who went to Portman Square!"

"That, of course, is obvious," said Carver. "And it's just as obvious
that whoever went to Portman Square returned from Portman Square to that
office. Eh?"

"That hasn't quite struck me," replied Triffitt. "How is it just as
obvious?"

"Because whoever went to Portman Square went in old Herapath's
fur-trimmed coat and his slouch hat, and the fur trimmed coat and slouch
hat were found in the office," answered Carver. "It's absolutely plain,
that. I put it like this. The murderer, having settled his man, put on
his victim's coat and hat, took his keys, went to Portman Square, did
something there, went back to the office, left the coat and hat, and
hooked it. That, my son, is a dead certainty. There's been little--if
anything--made of all that before the Coroner, and it's my impression,
Triffitt, that somebody--somebody official, mind you--is keeping
something back. Now," continued Carver, dropping his voice to a
confidential whisper, "I'm only doing a plain report of this affair for
our organ of light and leading, but I've read it up pretty well, and
there are two things I want to know, and I'll tell you what, Triffitt,
if you like to go in with me at finding them out--two can always work
better than one--I'm game!"

"What are the two things?" asked Triffitt, cautiously. "Perhaps I've got
'em in mind also."

"The first's this," replied Carver. "Somebody--some taxi-cab driver or
somebody of that sort--must have brought the man who personated old
Jacob Herapath back to, or to the neighborhood of, the office that
morning. How is it that somebody hasn't been discovered? You made a
point of asking for him in the _Argus_. Do you know what I think? I
think he has been discovered, and he's being kept out of the way. That's
point one."

"Good!" muttered Triffitt. "And point two?"

"Point two is--where is the man who came out of the House of Commons
with Jacob Herapath that night, the man that the coachman Mountain
described? In my opinion," asserted Carver, "I believe that man's been
found, too, and he's being kept back."

"Good again!" said Triffitt. "It's likely. Well, I've a point. You
heard the evidence about old Herapath's keys? Yes--well, where's the key
of that safe that he rented at the S