nds to some men.

"Good afternoon," he said, and waited for them to announce the object of
their visit.

"Are you Captain Nepcote?" Merrington asked.

"My name is Nepcote," was the response. "May I ask who you are?" His
glance included both his visitors.

"My name is Merrington," responded that officer, answering for himself.
"Superintendent Merrington, of Scotland Yard. This is Mr. Colwyn, a
private detective," he added, as an afterthought. "I wish to ask you a
few questions. I understand you were staying at the residence of Sir
Philip Heredith when young Mrs. Heredith was murdered."

"That is not quite accurate," replied the young man. "I left the
moat-house on the afternoon of the day that the murder was committed,
and returned to London. What is it you wish to ask me? I am afraid I
cannot enlighten you about the crime in any way, for I know nothing
whatever about it. It came as a great shock to me when I heard of it."

"Is this your revolver?" said Merrington, producing the weapon and
laying it on the table.

"Why, yes, it is," said the young man, picking it up and looking at it
in unmistakable surprise. "Where did you get it?"

"Where did you have it last?" was Merrington's cautious rejoinder.

"Let me think," returned Nepcote thoughtfully. "Oh, I remember. The last
time I saw it was at the moat-house on the day before my departure. We
were using it for a little target practice in the gun-room downstairs."

"And what did you do with it afterwards?"

"That I cannot tell you," responded Nepcote. "I have no recollection of
seeing it since. I have never thought about it."

"Nor missed it?"

"No. It is no use to me--it is not an Army revolver. But it seems to me
that I must have left it in the moat-house gun-room after the target
shooting. After we finished shooting some of us had a game of bagatelle
on a table in the gun-room. I must have put the revolver down and
forgotten all about it afterward. I have no recollection of taking it
upstairs, and I have certainly never seen it since. Was it found in the
gun-room?"

"It was found at the moat-house, at any rate. It was the weapon with
which Mrs. Heredith was killed."

"What!" His exclamation rang out in horror and incredulity. "Why, it is
impossible. The thing is a mere toy."

"A pretty dangerous toy--as it turned out," was the grim comment of
Merrington.

"It seems incredible to me," persisted the young man. "It's very
old, and you have to be very