f a sudden he
remembered that he had been a trifle surprised to perceive that Colonel
Grey had been carrying gloves when he had found him in the rose-garden
with Lady Loudwater.

His surprise had passed quickly enough. He had decided that the life in
the trenches had not weakened Colonel Grey's habit, as a fastidious man
about town, of taking care of his hands. He remembered, too, that at his
first interview with him he had observed that his hands were uncommonly
well shaped and well kept.

He did not suppose that Colonel Grey had come to the Castle on the
night of the murder wearing gloves with the deliberate intention of
killing Lord Loudwater without leaving finger-prints. But suppose that,
as he came away from a distressing interview with Lady Loudwater, the
knife on the library table had caught his eye and his gloves had been
in his pocket?

Mr. Flexen took out his pipe, lit it, and moved to an easy-chair to let
his brain work more easily. He tabulated his facts.

Colonel Grey had gone through the library window at about twenty
minutes past ten.

Hutchings had gone through the library window at half-past ten.

The mysterious woman had gone through the library window at about ten
minutes to eleven.

She came out of the library window at about a quarter-past eleven after a
violent quarrel with Lord Loudwater.

Colonel Grey came out of the library window at about twenty-five minutes
past eleven, after a distressing interview with Lady Loudwater,
apparently in a very bad temper.

James Hutchings had come out of the library window at about half-past
eleven, also, if William Roper might be believed, furious.

Lady Loudwater had come through the library window at a quarter to
twelve, and gone back through it at five minutes to twelve.

Each of the last three had passed within fifteen feet of Lord Loudwater,
dead or alive, both on entering and on coming out of the Castle. The
mysterious woman had actually been in the smoking-room with him.

If Lady Loudwater's statement that she heard her husband snoring at five
minutes to twelve were to be accepted, neither Colonel Grey, Hutchings,
nor the mysterious woman could have committed the murder--unless always
one of them had returned later and committed it. That possibility must
be borne in mind.

But Mr. Flexen did not accept her statement. If he were to accept it, she
herself at once became the most likely person to have committed the
crime. It was always poss