"A regular wandering willie," replied the inspector. "Oldish chap,
gives his age as sixty-one. Five foot three and a half, thin as a
rake, twenty-nine inch chest. Miserable sort of devil. Says he
picked up the watch about a quarter of a mile from 'The Hollows'
early one morning."

"Does he eat marmalade?"

"Eat it!" the inspector laughed. "He wolfs it. I remembered what you
said and took a pound along with me to Strinton, just for fun." He
looked across at Malcolm Sage a little shamefacedly. "I afterwards
heard that there was only the jar and the label left; but I don't
see what all this has to do with it. The fellow's got to swing for
it and----"

"Carfon, you've made a fool of yourself."

The inspector started back in his chair as if someone had struck him.

"I gave you a description of the man who had killed Professor
McMurray; yet you proceed to build up a fantastical case against
this poor devil."

"But----" began the inspector. He was interrupted by the door being
burst violently open and Sir John Dene shot into the room.

For a moment he stood staring at the two men, Gladys Norman and
William Johnson framed in the doorway behind him.

"Sir Jasper's killed himself," he cried.

"Moses' aunt!" cried the inspector, starting to his feet.

Malcolm Sage sat immovable at his table, his eyes upon his
outstretched hands. Slowly looking up he motioned to Miss Norman to
close the door, then nodded towards a chair into which Sir John Dene
sank. The inspector resumed his own seat. It was obvious that the
news had considerably shaken him.

"You knew?" Sir John Dene interrogated, his voice a little unsteady.

"I expected it," said Malcolm Sage quietly. "But how, Mr. Sage?"
enquired Inspector Carfon in a whisper, his throat dry with
excitement.

"Because I wrote to him yesterday saying that I could not allow the
condemned man to be sacrificed. It was Sir Jasper Chambers who
killed Professor McMurray."

For a moment Inspector Carfon's eyes looked as if they would start
out of his head. He turned and looked at Sir John Dene, who with
unsteady hand was taking a cheroot from his case.

Malcolm Sage drew his pipe from his pocket and proceeded to fill it.

"On the Tuesday night," he began, "it is obvious that Professor
McMurray admitted someone to the laboratory. That man was Sir Jasper
Chambers.

"When the two had dined together a week before," proceeded Malcolm
Sage, "an appointment was obviously made for a wee