ll, during a pause. He was
less able than the other two, perhaps because he was younger than they,
to keep away from the subject which was uppermost in the minds of them
all.

"Keys?" said Cayley blankly.

"We were wondering whether they were outside or inside."

"Oh! oh, yes!" He looked slowly round the hall, at the different doors,
and then smiled in a friendly way at Antony. "We both seem to have been
right, Mr. Gillingham. So we don't get much farther."

"No." He gave a shrug. "I just wondered, you know. I thought it was
worth mentioning."

"Oh, quite. Not that you would have convinced me, you know. Just as
Elsie's evidence doesn't convince me."

"Elsie?" said Bill excitedly. Antony looked inquiringly at him,
wondering who Elsie was.

"One of the housemaids," explained Cayley. "You didn't hear what she
told the Inspector? Of course, as I told Birch, girls of that class make
things up, but he seemed to think she was genuine."

"What was it?" said Bill.

Cayley told them of what Elsie had heard through the office door that
afternoon.

"You were in the library then, of course," said Antony, rather to
himself than to the other. "She might have gone through the hall without
your hearing."

"Oh, I've no doubt she was there, and heard voices. Perhaps heard those
very words. But--" He broke off, and then added impatiently, "It was
accidental. I know it was accidental. What's the good of talking as if
Mark was a murderer?" Dinner was announced at that moment, and as they
went in, he added, "What's the good of talking about it at all, if it
comes to that?"

"What, indeed?" said Antony, and to Bill's great disappointment they
talked of books and politics during the meal.

Cayley made an excuse for leaving them as soon as their cigars were
alight. He had business to attend to, as was natural. Bill would look
after his friend. Bill was only too willing. He offered to beat
Antony at billiards, to play him at piquet, to show him the garden by
moonlight, or indeed to do anything else with him that he required.

"Thank the Lord you're here," he said piously. "I couldn't have stood it
alone."

"Let's go outside," suggested Antony. "It's quite warm. Somewhere where
we can sit down, right away from the house. I want to talk to you."

"Good man. What about the bowling-green?"

"Oh, you were going to show me that, anyhow, weren't you? Is it
somewhere where we can talk without being overheard?"

"Rather. The ideal