her grimly, then added:

"Perhaps you'd care to have a look at Miss Mackwayte's room,
sir!"

"Is Miss Mackwayte there" asked the Chief.

"I got her out of this quick," replied Mr. Marigold, "she's had a
bad shock, poor girl, though she gave her evidence clearly enough
for all that... as far as it goes and that's not much. Some
friends near by have taken her in! The doctor has given her some
bromide and says she's got to be kept quiet..."

"What's her story!" queried the Chief.

"She can't throw much light on the business. She and her father
reached home from the theatre about a quarter past twelve, had a
bit of supper in the dining-room and went up to bed before one
o'clock. Miss Mackwayte saw her father go into his room, which is
next to hers, and shut the door. The next thing she knows is that
she woke up suddenly with some kind of a loud noise in her
ears... that was the report of the pistol, I've no doubt... she
thought for a minute it was an air raid. Then suddenly a hand was
pressed over her mouth, something was crammed into her mouth and
she was firmly strapped down to the bed."

"Did she see the man?" asked Desmond.

"She didn't see anything from first to last," answered the
detective, "as far as she is concerned it might have been a woman
or a black man who trussed her up. It was quite dark in her
bedroom and this burglar fellow, after binding and gagging her,
fastened a bandage across her eyes into the bargain. She says she
heard him moving about her room and then creep out very softly.
The next thing she knew was Mrs. Chugg arriving at her bedside
this morning."

"What time did this attack take place?" asked the Chief.

"She has no idea," answered the detective. "She couldn't see her
watch and they haven't got a striking clock in the house."

"But can she make no guess!"

"Well, she says she thinks it was several hours before Mrs. Chugg
arrived in the morning... as much as three hours, she thinks!"

"And what time did Mrs. Chugg arrive!"

"At half-past six!"

"About Mackwayte... how long was he dead when they found him?
What does the doctor say?"

"About three hours approximately, but you know, they can't always
tell to an hour or so!"

"Well," said the Chief slowly, "it looks as if one might figure
the murder as having been committed some time between 3 and 3.30
a.m."

"My idea exactly," said Mr. Marigold. "Shall we go upstairs?"

He conducted the Chief and Desmond up the short flig