-murdered the man."

"I begin to suppose that is what they intend to say," rejoined
Phineas, scornfully.

Mr. Low had entered the room, doubting indeed, but still inclined
to believe,--as Bunce had very clearly believed,--that the hands of
Phineas Finn were red with the blood of this man who had been killed.
And, had he been questioned on such a matter, when no special case
was before his mind, he would have declared of himself that a few
tones from the voice, or a few glances from the eye, of a suspected
man would certainly not suffice to eradicate suspicion. But now he
was quite sure,--almost quite sure,--that Phineas was as innocent as
himself. To Lord Chiltern, who had heard none of the details, the
suspicion was so monstrous as to fill him with wrath. "You don't mean
to tell us, Mr. Low, that any one says that Finn killed the man?"

"I have come as his friend," said Low, "to put him on his guard. The
accusation will be made against him."

To Phineas, not clearly looking at it, not knowing very accurately
what had happened, not being in truth quite sure that Mr. Bonteen was
actually dead, this seemed to be a continuation of the persecution
which he believed himself to have suffered from that man's hand. "I
can believe anything from that quarter," he said.

"From what quarter?" asked Lord Chiltern. "We had better let Mr. Low
tell us what really has happened."

Then Mr. Low told the story, as well as he knew it, describing the
spot on which the body had been found. "Often as I go to the club,"
said Phineas, "I never was through that passage in my life." Mr. Low
went on with his tale, telling how the man had been killed with some
short bludgeon. "I had that in my pocket," said Finn, producing the
life-preserver. "I have almost always had something of the kind when
I have been in London, since that affair of Kennedy's." Mr. Low cast
one glance at it,--to see whether it had been washed or scraped, or
in any way cleansed. Phineas saw the glance, and was angry. "There it
is, as it is. You can make the most of it. I shall not touch it again
till the policeman comes. Don't put your hand on it, Chiltern. Leave
it there." And the instrument was left lying on the table, untouched.
Mr. Low went on with his story. He had heard nothing of Yosef Mealyus
as connected with the murder, but some indistinct reference to Lord
Fawn and the top-coat had been made to him. "There is the coat, too,"
said Phineas, taking it from the sof