njoys repeating an oft-told tale, "I found the pore
man and a horrid turn it give me, too, I declare! I come in early
this morning a-purpose to turn out these two rooms, the
dining-room and the droring-room, same as I always do of a
Saturday, along of the lidy's horders and wishes. I come in 'ere
fust, to pull up the blinds and that, and d'reckly I switches on
the light 'Burglars!' I sez to meself, 'Burglars! That's wot it
is!' seeing the nasty mess the place was in. Up I nips to Miss
Mackwayte's room on the first floor and in I bursts. 'Miss,' sez
I, 'Miss, there's been burglars in the house!' and then I sees
the pore lamb all tied up there on 'er blessed bed! Lor, mister,
the turn it give me and I ain't telling you no lies! She was
strapped up that tight with a towel crammed in 'er mouth she
couldn't 'ardly dror 'er breath! I undid 'er pretty quick and the
fust thing she sez w'en I gets the towl out of her mouth, the
pore dear, is 'Mrs. Chugg,' she sez all of a tremble as you might
say, 'Mrs. Chugg' sez she, 'my father! my father!' sez she. With
that up she jumps but she 'adn't put foot to the floor w'en down
she drops! It was along of 'er being tied up orl that time, dyer
see, mister! I gets 'er back on the bed. 'You lie still, Miss,'
says I, 'and I'll pop in and tell your pa to come in to you!'
Well; I went to the old genelmun's room. Empty!"

Mrs. Chugg paused to give her narrative dramatic effect.

"And where did you find Mr. Mackwayte?" asked the Chief in such a
placid voice that Mrs. Chugg cast an indignant glance at him.

"I was jes' going downstairs to see if 'e was in the kitching or
out at the back," she continued, unheeding the interruption,
"when there on the landing I sees a foot asticking out from under
the curting. I pulls back the curting and oh, Lor! oh, dear, oh,
dear, the pore genelmun, 'im as never did a bad turn to no one!"

"Come, come, Mrs. Chugg!" said the detective.

The charwoman wiped her eyes and resumed.

"'E was a-lying on his back in 'is dressing-gown, 'is face all
burnt black, like, and a fair smother o' blood. Under 'is hed
there was a pool o' blood, mister, yer may believe me or not..."

Mr. Marigold cut in decisively.

"Do you wish to see the body, sir?" the detective asked the
Chief, "they're upstairs photographing it!"

The Chief nodded. He and Desmond followed the detective upstairs,
whilst Mrs. Chugg resentfully resumed her seat by the fire. On
her face was the look o