-"

"We are friends--the best of 'em, eh, old chap?" from Ross himself.

"Very well, then. All I can say is that you are harming Mr. Duggan's
case with your ridiculous silence, and if you're not pretty careful,
might end in driving him into the prisoner's dock."

It was a "tall order"--and it almost carried, but not quite. For
Macdonald gave out a smothered exclamation of amazement, swung around
and looked at Ross, and then, meeting Maud Duggan's agonized eyes,
tightened his mouth and faced Cleek again with the set expression upon
his face.

"Ross Duggan's no murderer--and you know it, dash you!" he gave out in a
harsh, curt voice. "And it's no business of yours what I was doing here
last night. I'm a friend of the family----"

"But forbidden the house, I take it?"

Macdonald flushed an ugly crimson.

"You're exceedin'ly well informed upon family affairs, I must say!" he
retorted tartly. "Yes--forbidden the house by the master of it (poor old
chap!) and therefore--well, I'm not goin' to say any more. It may
implicate someone else who's entirely innocent, and you won't get my
mouth open with a sledge-hammer and a nail!"

"And no necessity for it, either--you dunderheaded young donkey!"
thought Cleek amusedly. "For if you haven't given the whole show away,
and made it perfectly plain to everybody that you were meeting your
sweetheart--or about to do so--then my name's not Cleek--which, of
course, it isn't! And there's no telling but that you're a better actor
than you make out! And this may be a 'blind'--but at present there's no
'cover' to draw, so we'll be off cantering in the other direction until
the scent's a bit stronger in _yours_." Aloud, he turned to the irate
young man with a slight bow, and spoke in his easy, calm manner.

"Well, if you won't, you won't. These are not the days of the thumbscrew
and the rack, Captain Macdonald, and a man's tongue cannot be made to
speak by any other means than a little confinement in a prison cell. And
I don't think that's really necessary, in your case, do you, Mr. Narkom?
So we'll let that pass for the present. But I'd like you to understand
that--on account of your refusing to acquaint us with the facts of your
presence here in the grounds of this place last night--we are obliged,
in the maintenance of Law and Order, to put you upon your parole."

"Thanks very much."

Captain Macdonald bowed, with much mockery of lip and gesture, and then,
turning to the others i