o, however,
assuredly will be hanged, and a good job too. He is only a savage, and
as such is dangerous in a civilized community. I wonder where they have
gone? Did anyone hear them going?"

"No," said Lucy unhesitatingly. "Cook came up this morning to my room,
and said that my father--I mean my step-father--had gone away with
Cockatoo and with the green mummy. I don't know why she should have said
that, as the Professor often went away unexpectedly."

"Perhaps she heard rumors in the village and put two and two together.
I cannot tell. Some instinct must have told her. But I daresay Braddock
and his accomplice fled under cover of the mist and in the small hours
of the morning. They must have known that the confession would bring the
officers of the law to this house."

"I hope they will escape," murmured Lucy.

"Well, I am not sure," said Hope hesitatingly. "Of course, I should like
to avoid a scandal for your sake, and yet it is only right that the two
of them should be punished. Remember, Lucy dear, how Braddock has acted
all along in deceiving us. He knew all, and yet not one of us suspected
him."

While Archie was thus comforting the poor girl, Gartley village was in
an uproar. Everyone was talking about this new crime, and everyone was
wondering who had stabbed the unlucky woman. As yet the confession of
Mrs. Jasher had not been placed in the hands of the police and everyone
was ignorant that Cockatoo was the criminal who had escaped in the fog.
Inspector Date speedily arrived with his myrmidons on the scene and made
the cottage his headquarters. Later in the day, Hope, having taken a
cold bath to freshen himself up, came with the confession. This he gave
to the officer and explained the whole story of the previous night.

Date was more than astonished: he was astounded. He read the confession
and made notes; then he sent for Sir Frank Random, and examined him
in the same strict way as he had examined the artist. Jane was also
questioned. Widow Anne was put in the witness box, so as to report
about the clothes, and in every way Date gathered material for another
inquest. At the former one he had only been able to place scanty
evidence before the jury, and the verdict had been unsatisfactory to the
public. But on this occasion, seeing that the witnesses he could bring
forward would solve the mystery of the first death as well as the
second, Inspector Date exulted greatly. He saw himself promoted and
his sala