k the liberty of remaining in the hall while they were here."

"What do you think of it all, Chalmers?"

The old man narrowed his lips into a cautious line.

"Well, sir, her ladyship may be as innocent as the babe unborn, in
which case I've a deal to answer for. But I believe, sir, that her
sending for the police was just a part of her game--to pull the wool
over our eyes, sir."

Roger shook his head slowly and drank his whisky before replying.

"I don't know, Chalmers, I'm completely at sea. Go on, though, let me
hear all that Miss Rowe said to you."

"Well, sir, it was very little, but I caught something about a plot
she'd got wind of, a plan between her ladyship and the doctor to kill
Sir Charles by giving him typhoid fever, and you too, sir. She said
something about germs, and--mind this, sir--_Evian water_. That's what
made me act as I did, sir, in regard to her ladyship. There was no
mistake about it; she was just going to pour that water away, sir, when
it came over me what she was up to, and quick as a flash I grabbed her
arm and wrenched the bottle out of her hands. If I were to go to
prison for it, sir, I'd still swear I did right."

Roger nodded slowly, his face hardening.

"If this should be true, Chalmers, and not, as they want us to believe,
a fabrication of Miss Rowe's brain, then----"

He broke off and for a second his eyes met those of the old servant.
Then the latter bent forward and finished the sentence for him.

"Then it's murder, sir, no other name for it. Those two killed Sir
Charles just as surely as if they'd put a bullet into him, and they
meant to get you, sir, one way or another. I'd take my oath on it.
It's my opinion the nurse got here just in time to save you."

"And yet, Chalmers, it's quite possible that business of the mineral
water has some other, simple explanation. One must admit the
possibility."

"Very good, sir, there's those who can examine into that bottle and say
if there's anything amiss with it. I consider that bottle as evidence,
sir, and I'm glad we've got it safely under lock and key."

"Yes, we can have it analysed. Perhaps I ought to have handed it over
to the police.... I didn't do it because while the thing's in doubt
one can't bring a horrible accusation, particularly against a member of
one's family. My father's own wife----!"

The butler nodded understandingly.

"I suppose I'll have to be leaving here in the morning, sir: I sha'n't
be