ther with a face uncommonly radiant.

He had had the cheering thought that he had the Loudwater case, if ever
it should come to a trial, wholly in his hands. He had but to remember
having heard Lord Loudwater snore at, say, a few minutes to twelve, to
break it down. He did not conceive that he would encounter any difficulty
in remembering that if it should be necessary.

The solemnity of the funeral and Mr. Carrington's conversation in the
coach--he had talked about the weather--had not weakened his resolve
that, if he could help it, no one should swing for the murder.

This realization of his position of vantage made him eager to go to
Helena to set her mind at rest, should she, as he thought most likely,
be greatly troubled by the fact that her untimely visit to the murdered
man was known. But he had to lunch at the Castle with the funeral guests.
They were interested beyond measure in the murder and full of questions.
He talked to them with a darkly mysterious air, and made a deep
impression of discreet sagacity on their simple minds. He observed that
Olivia appeared to have been afflicted more deeply by the funeral than he
had expected. She looked harassed and seemed to find the lunch rather a
strain. He observed also that she did not, as did her guests, who were so
slightly acquainted with him, pay any tribute to the character of her
dead husband.

Mr. Flexen was not lunching with them. He had spent an expectant morning
waiting for the local effects of the story in the _Wire_ and _Planet_,
and in having that story spread far and wide by Inspector Perkins and his
two men among the villagers, who only saw a paper in the public-houses of
the neighbourhood on a Sunday. He hoped, if it had been a local affair,
to have information about it in the course of the day. Up to lunchtime
the newspaper advertisement of the mysterious woman had proved as
fruitless as the earlier private inquiries. But he remained hopeful.

It was past three before Mr. Manley escaped from the funeral guests and
betook himself at a brisk pace to Helena's house. As he went he made up
his mind that the quality most fitting the occasion was discretion. He
had better not let it appear that he was sure that she was the mysterious
woman of the _Daily Wire._ He must make his announcement that, in the
event of any one being brought to trial for the murder of Lord Loudwater,
his evidence could break down any case for the prosecution, and that he
would s