to grasp the situation at last.

"What about?" he asked, and his face was a little paler already.

"About this murder. I wanted to satisfy myself that you were--or were
not--innocent."

"But--er--how?"

"By your actions, conversation, and appearance. I am now satisfied, Sir
Malcolm."

"That I am innocent."

"Yes."

"Then will this be the end of my--er--painful position?"

"So far as your own anxiety goes; yes. You need no longer fear arrest."

The first look of relief which had rushed to the young man's face became
clouded with a suggestion of chagrin.

"But won't people then--er--talk about me any longer?"

"I am afraid I can't prevent that--for a little longer."

The last of the baronet's worries seemed to disappear.

"Ah!" he said complacently. "Well, let them talk about me!"

Carrington rose and rang the bell.

"You deserve a third sloe gin!" said he.

While the third sloe gin was being brought, he very deliberately and
very thoughtfully selected and lit a cigarette, and then he said:

"You tell me specifically that Mr. Rattar was the first person to inform
you that suspicion was directed against you, and that he advised you to
keep away, and for choice to go abroad. There is no doubt about that, is
there?"

"Well," said Sir Malcolm, "he didn't specifically advise me to go
abroad, but certainly his letter seemed to suggest it."

"Ah!" said Carrington and gazed into space for a moment.

"I am now going to take the liberty of suggesting your best course of
action," he resumed. "In the first place, there is no object in your
going out to Keldale House, so I think you had better not. In the second
place, you had better call on Mr. Rattar first thing to-morrow and
consult him about any point of business that strikes you as a sufficient
reason for coming so far to see him. I may tell you that he has given
you extremely bad advice, so you can be as off-hand and brief with him
as you like. Get out of his office, in fact, as quick as you can."

"That's what I always want to do," said the baronet. "I can't stick the
old fellow at any price."

"If he asks you whether you have seen me, say you have just seen me but
didn't fancy me, and don't give him the least idea of what we talked
about. You can add that you left the Kings Arms because you didn't care
for my company."

"But am I to leave it?" exclaimed the young man.

Carrington nodded.

"It's better that we shouldn't stay in the same hotel. I