nelope up-stairs, in the character of volunteer
witnesses in a burning fever of anxiety to help Sergeant Cuff.

The Sergeant seemed to approve of Penelope. He became a trifle less
dreary; and he looked much as he had looked when he noticed the white
musk rose in the flower-garden. Here is my daughter's evidence, as drawn
off from her by the Sergeant. She gave it, I think, very prettily--but,
there! she is my child all over: nothing of her mother in her; Lord
bless you, nothing of her mother in her!

Penelope examined: Took a lively interest in the painting on the door,
having helped to mix the colours. Noticed the bit of work under
the lock, because it was the last bit done. Had seen it, some hours
afterwards, without a smear. Had left it, as late as twelve at night,
without a smear. Had, at that hour, wished her young lady good night in
the bedroom; had heard the clock strike in the "boudoir"; had her hand
at the time on the handle of the painted door; knew the paint was wet
(having helped to mix the colours, as aforesaid); took particular pains
not to touch it; could swear that she held up the skirts of her dress,
and that there was no smear on the paint then; could not swear that her
dress mightn't have touched it accidentally in going out; remembered the
dress she had on, because it was new, a present from Miss Rachel; her
father remembered, and could speak to it, too; could, and would, and
did fetch it; dress recognised by her father as the dress she wore that
night; skirts examined, a long job from the size of them; not the ghost
of a paint-stain discovered anywhere. End of Penelope's evidence--and
very pretty and convincing, too. Signed, Gabriel Betteredge.

The Sergeant's next proceeding was to question me about any large dogs
in the house who might have got into the room, and done the mischief
with a whisk of their tails. Hearing that this was impossible, he next
sent for a magnifying-glass, and tried how the smear looked, seen that
way. No skin-mark (as of a human hand) printed off on the paint. All the
signs visible--signs which told that the paint had been smeared by some
loose article of somebody's dress touching it in going by. That somebody
(putting together Penelope's evidence and Mr. Franklin's evidence) must
have been in the room, and done the mischief, between midnight and three
o'clock on the Thursday morning.

Having brought his investigation to this point, Sergeant Cuff discovered
that such a pe