at her husband is much worse. To tell her of the tragedy at once
would probably prove too great a blow."

"She ought never to have gone to town and left him," declared my
well-beloved in sudden condemnation of her sister's conduct. "She will
never forgive herself."

"Regrets will not bring the poor fellow to life again," I said with a
sigh. "We must act, and act promptly, in order to discover the
identity of the murderer and the motive of the crime. That there is a
motive is certain; yet it is indeed strange that anyone should
actually kill a man suffering from a disease which, in a few months at
most, must prove fatal. The motive was therefore his immediate
decease, and that fact will probably greatly assist the police in
their investigations."

"But who could have killed him?"

"Ah! that's the mystery. If, as you believe, the house was found to be
still secured when the alarm was raised, then it would appear that
someone who slept beneath this roof was guilty."

"Oh! Impossible! Remember there are only myself and the servants. You
surely don't suspect either of them?"

"I have no suspicion of anyone at present," I answered. "Let the
police search the place, and they may discover something which will
furnish them with a clue."

I noticed some telegraph-forms in the stationery rack on a small
writing-table, and taking one scribbled a couple of lines to Sir
Bernard, at Hove, informing him of the mysterious affair. This I
folded and placed in my pocket in readiness for the re-opening of the
telegraph office at eight o'clock.

Shortly afterwards we heard the wheels of the cab outside, and a few
minutes later were joined by a police inspector in uniform and an
officer in plain clothes.

In a few brief sentences I explained to them the tragic circumstances,
and then led them upstairs to the dead man's room.

After a cursory glance around, they went forth again out upon the
landing in order to await the arrival of two other plain-clothes
officers who had come round on foot, one of them the sergeant of the
Criminal Investigation Department attached to the Kew station. Then,
after giving orders to the constable on the beat to station himself at
the door and allow no one to enter or leave without permission, the
three detectives and the inspector entered the room where the dead man
lay.

CHAPTER VI.

IN WHICH I MAKE A DISCOVERY.

Having explained who I was, I followed the men in and assisted them in
ma