t be removed."

"Why did you do that, Chief?" enquired Malcolm Sage, who had
discarded the paper-knife and was now busy drawing geometrical
figures with the thumb-nail of his right hand upon the blotting pad
before him.

"Because I was not satisfied," was the reply. "There was absolutely
no motive for suicide. Challoner was in good health and, if I know
anything about men, determined to live as long as the gods give."

Again Malcolm Sage nodded his head meditatively.

"The jumping to hasty conclusions," he remarked, "has saved many a
man his neck. Whom did you leave in charge?" he queried.

"The inspector. I locked the door; here is the key," he said,
producing it from his jacket pocket. "I told him to allow no one
into the room."

"Why were you there?" Malcolm Sage suddenly looked up, flashing that
keen, steely look through his gold-rimmed spectacles that many men
had found so disconcerting. "Ordinary visit?" he queried.

"No.11 Sir James paused, apparently deliberating something in his
own mind. He was well acquainted with Malcolm Sage's habit of asking
apparently irrelevant questions.

"There's been a little difficulty between Challoner and his nephew,"
he said slowly. "Some days back the boy announced his determination
of marrying a girl he had met in London, a typist or secretary.
Challoner was greatly upset, and threatened to cut him out of his
will if he persisted. There was a scene, several scenes in fact, and
eventually I was sent for as Challoner's oldest friend."

"To bring the nephew to reason," suggested Malcolm Sage.

"To give advice ostensibly; but in reality to talk things over," was
the reply.

"You advised?" When keenly interested, Malcolm Sage's questions were
like pistol-shots.

"That Challoner should wait and see the girl."

"Did he?"

Malcolm Sage was intent upon outlining his hand with the point of
the paper-knife upon the blotting pad.

Again Sir James hesitated, only for a fraction of a second, however.

"Yes; but unfortunately with the object of endeavouring to buy her
off. Yesterday afternoon Dane brought her over. Challoner saw her
alone. She didn't stay more than a quarter of an hour. Then she and
Dane left the house together, he to see her to the station. An hour
later he returned. I was in the hall at the time. He was in a very
excited state. He pushed past me, burst into the library, banging
the door behind him.

"That evening at dinner Challoner told me there had b