han a few seconds later.
Forms a picture, don't it, my lord? His lordship the Count jerks a
button off the girl's gown, she outs with a gun and plugs him."

Lord Darcy's handsome face scowled. "Let's not jump to any hasty
conclusions, my good Sean. There is no evidence whatever that he was
killed by a woman."

"Would a man be wearing that gown, my lord?"

"Possibly," said Lord Darcy. "But who says that anyone was wearing it
when the button was removed?"

"Oh." Master Sean subsided into silence. Using a small ramrod, he
forced the bullet out of the chamber of the little pistol.

"Father Bright," said Lord Darcy, "will the Countess be serving tea
this afternoon?"

The priest looked suddenly contrite. "Good heavens! None of you has
eaten yet! I'll see that something is sent up right away, Lord Darcy.
In the confusion--"

Lord Darcy held up a hand. "I beg your pardon, Father; that wasn't
what I meant. I'm sure Master Sean and Dr. Pateley would appreciate a
little something, but I can wait until tea time. What I was thinking
was that perhaps the Countess would ask her guests to tea. Does she
know Laird and Lady Duncan well enough to ask for their sympathetic
presence on such an afternoon as this?"

Father Bright's eyes narrowed a trifle. "I dare say it could be
arranged, Lord Darcy. You will be there?"

"Yes--but I may be a trifle late. That will hardly matter at an
informal tea."

The priest glanced at his watch. "Four o'clock?"

"I should think that would do it," said Lord Darcy.

Father Bright nodded wordlessly and left the room.

* * * * *

Dr. Pateley took off his pince-nez and polished the lenses carefully
with a silk handkerchief. "How long will your spell keep the body
incorrupt, Master Sean?" he asked.

"As long as it's relevant. As soon as the case is solved, or we have
enough data to solve the case--as the case may be, heh heh--he'll
start to go. I'm not a saint, you know; it takes powerful motivation
to keep a body incorrupt for years and years."

Sir Pierre was eying the gown that Pateley had put on the table. The
button was still in place, as if held there by magnetism. He didn't
touch it. "Master Sean, I don't know much about magic," he said, "but
can't you find out who was wearing this robe just as easily as you
found out that the button matched?"

Master Sean wagged his head in a firm negative. "No, sir. 'Tisn't
relevant sir. The relevancy of the integrat