tler brought me the news about Lady
Carstairs," remarked Murray, "but I don't know who they are."

"I do!" answered Mr. Lindsey. "Holmshaw and Portlethorpe of Newcastle.
Here," he went on, passing a telegram form to me. "Write out this
message: 'Sir Gilbert and Lady Carstairs are both missing from
Hathercleugh under strange circumstances please send some authorized
person here at once.' Sign that with my name, Hugh--and take it to the
post-office, and come back here."

When I got back, Mr. Lindsey had evidently told Murray and Chisholm all
about my adventures with Sir Gilbert, and the two men regarded me with a
new interest as if I had suddenly become a person of the first
importance. And the superintendent at once fell upon me for my reticence.

"You made a bad mistake, young man, in keeping back what you ought to
have told at the inquest on Phillips!" he said, reprovingly. "Indeed, you
ought to have told it before that--you should have told us."

"Aye!--if I'd only known as much as that," began Chisholm, "I'd have--"

"You'd probably have done just what he did!" broke in Mr. Lindsey--"held
your tongue till you knew more!--so let that pass--the lad did what he
thought was for the best. You never suspected Sir Gilbert of any share
in these affairs, either of you--so come, now!"

"Why, as to that, Mr. Lindsey," remarked Murray, who looked somewhat
nettled by this last passage, "you didn't suspect him yourself--or, if
you did, you kept it uncommonly quiet!"

"Does Mr. Lindsey suspect him now?" asked Chisholm, a bit maliciously.
"For if he does, maybe he'll give us a hand."

Mr. Lindsey looked at both of them in a way that he had of looking at
people of whose abilities he had no very great idea--but there was some
indulgence in the look on this occasion.

"Well, now that things have come to this pass," he said, "and after Sir
Gilbert's deliberate attempt to get rid of Moneylaws--to murder him, in
fact--I don't mind telling you the truth. I do suspect Sir Gilbert of the
murder of Crone--and that's why I produced that ice-ax in court the other
day. And--when he saw that ice-ax, he knew that I suspected him, and
that's why he took Moneylaws out with him, intending to rid himself of a
man that could give evidence against him. If I'd known that Moneylaws was
going with him, I'd have likely charged Sir Gilbert there and
then!--anyway, I wouldn't have let Moneylaws go."

"Aye!--you know something, then?" exclaimed Murra