o on," he said hoarsely.

Musard seated himself on the edge of the bed at his side, and entered
upon a narration of the circumstances which had led to the arrest of
Hazel Rath. Phil listened attentively, but the expression of amazement
never left his face. When Musard finished he was silent for a moment,
and then impetuously broke out:

"I feel sure Hazel Rath did not commit this crime."

Musard was silent. That was a question upon which he did not feel called
upon to advance an opinion. Miss Heredith was too moved to speak.

"Why do you not say something?" exclaimed Phil, turning on her angrily.
"Surely you do not think Hazel guilty?"

"Oh, Phil," responded his aunt piteously, "it seems hard to believe, but
what else can we think? There was the revolver and the handkerchief
found in her mother's room, and the little greenstone brooch you gave
her was picked up in Violet's bedroom."

"Why do they think she has killed her? Tell me that!"

Musard, in his narration of the facts, had omitted mention of the
supposed motive, but he now made a gesture to Miss Heredith to indicate
that she had better tell Phil.

"It was because the police believe that Hazel was--was in love with you,
Phil," she falteringly said. "They think she murdered Violet in a fit of
jealousy."

"Hazel in love with me?" He echoed the phrase in mingled scorn and
amazement. "That is preposterous. If the police have nothing better than
that to go on--"

"They have," interrupted Musard. "They are going on the clues I have
mentioned--the brooch, the handkerchief, and the revolver."

"Where did Hazel get the revolver?"

"It is thought she got it from the gun-room."

"There are no revolvers in the gun-room," rejoined Phil quickly. "We
have no revolvers, unless father bought one recently. What make is it?"

"The ownership of the revolver is a point the police have not yet been
able to settle," returned Musard. "It is only an assumption on their
part that Hazel got it from the gun-room. They thought it either
belonged to the house or was left behind by one of the guests. Neither
your aunt nor I knew, and Sir Philip was unable to settle the point. The
police thought you might know. As a matter of fact, one of the
detectives engaged in the investigations has just arrived from London
and brought the revolver with him to see if you can identify it."

"I should like to see him. Where is he?"

"In the library. I will bring him in."

Musard left the r