es was too tremendous for him to readily assimilate it. He picked
up a cigarette from an open box, with shaking fingers, lit it, and threw
himself into an easy-chair. He was all the time quite unconscious of
what he was doing.

"Sir Timothy Brast?" he repeated.

"Yes, sir," the man reiterated. "I wish to tell you the whole story."

"I am listening," Francis assured him.

"That evening before dinner, Sir Timothy Brast called to see Mr.
Hilditch, and a very stormy interview took place. I do not know the
rights of that, sir. I only know that there was a fierce quarrel. Mrs.
Hilditch came in and Sir Timothy left the house. His last words to Mr.
Hilditch were, 'You will hear from me again.' As you know, sir--I mean
as you remember, if you followed the evidence--all the servants slept at
the back of the house. I slept in the butler's room downstairs, next to
the plate pantry. I was awake when you left, sitting in my easy-chair,
reading. Ten minutes after you had left, there was a sound at the front
door as though some one had knocked with their knuckles. I got up, to
open it but Mr. Hilditch was before me. He admitted Sir Timothy. They
went back into the library together. It struck me that Mr. Hilditch had
had a great deal to drink, and there was a queer look on Sir Timothy's
face that I didn't understand. I stepped into the little room which
communicates with the library by folding doors. There was a chink
already between the two. I got a knife from the pantry and widened it
until I could see through. I heard very little of the conversation but
there was no quarrel. Mr. Hilditch took up the weapon which you
know about, sat in a chair and held it to his heart. I heard him say
something like this. 'This ought to appeal to you, Sir Timothy. You're a
specialist in this sort of thing. One little touch, and there you are.'
Mrs. Hilditch said something about putting it away. My master turned
to Sir Timothy and said something in a low tone. Suddenly Sir Timothy
leaned over. He caught hold of Mr. Hilditch's hand which held the hilt
of the dagger, and and--well, he just drove it in, sir. Then he stood
away. Mrs. Hilditch sprang up and would have screamed, but Sir Timothy
placed his hand over her mouth. In a moment I heard her say, 'What have
you done?' Sir Timothy looked at Mr. Hilditch quite calmly. 'I have
ridded the world of a verminous creature,' he said. My knees began to
shake. My nerves were always bad. I crept back into my