o its correct position once more. "It wasn't a bird's nest--not by a
long chalk! More like a hornet nest, I should say, between you and me;
but that's apart from the question. And it wasn't muffled before the
tragedy, either, Mr. Narkom. It was muffled _after_! Pretty strange,
isn't it?... Yes, I thought you'd think so. Well, anyhow, I'm coming
to-night to remove the 'muffling' object when the rest of the people are
in bed, and I want you to help me by keeping on the watch-out. We're due
for a full moon to-night, and that'll help matters. So Rhea's in the
mystery, too, is he? Umm. A difficult subject to tackle as well, on
account of his silence. But he's told me something this day that has
unravelled _one_ portion of the riddle, at all events. And when I've
unravelled the remainder, you shall hear what it is.

"Now for Dollops, and the Three Fishers. I'm anxious to hear that 'Crown
and Anchor' story from his own lips. And I've other work for him. So
come along."

CHAPTER XV

ANOTHER FLY IN THE WEB

It was a full hour by the clock when Captain Macdonald, in the hands of
his burly captor, and looking as furious as it is possible for a man to
look in such circumstances, entered the library at Aygon Castle, where
already Mr. Narkom, Cleek, and all the other members of that
ill-assorted and tragic party were already assembled, and, looking
neither to right nor left of him, pushed past Maud Duggan's detaining
fingers and went straight up to his man on sight.

"Look here!" he said angrily, as, hat in hand, he stood before Cleek,
his countenance showing a little of what he felt inside his hot young
heart. "What the deuce--what the dickens do you mean by sendin' a
beastly policeman for me? That's what I want to know! I was on my way up
here--the awful thing that has just happened I only heard this morning
through my groom, who met one of the Castle grooms in the village, and
he told him--and I was comin' up to see if I could be any help, when up
comes my lord constable, seizes me by the sleeve, tips his cap, and
says, 'You've got to come along with me'--just as if I'd picked a
blessed pocket or something! I'm dashed well furious I can tell you! And
I want an apology at once. Thought there was somethin' decidedly fishy
in your appearance here in the Castle grounds last night, and now I know
what you were about for."

"But, unfortunately, I don't know what _you_ were about for, Captain,"
retorted Cleek with a one-si