ards played for me. I knew then that the
man was lying; so I threw him off the scent, changed the subject, and
did _not_ keep Mr. Simon Rattar in touch with any single thing I did
after that."

"Good for you!" said Ned.

"Good so far, but the next riddle wasn't of the simple kind--or else I'm
even a bigger ass than I endeavour to look! What was the man's game?"

"Have you spotted it yet?"

Carrington shook his head.

"Mr. Simon Rattar's game is the toughest proposition in the way of
puzzles I've ever struck. While I'm at it I'll just tell you one or two
other small features of that first interview."

He lit a cigarette and leant over the arm of his chair towards his
visitor, his manner growing keener as he talked.

"I happened to have met Miss Farmond that morning and my interview had
knocked the bottom out of the story that she was concerned in the crime.
I had satisfied myself also that she was not engaged to Sir Malcolm."

"How did you discover that?" exclaimed Ned.

"Her manner when I mentioned him. But I found that old Rattar was wrong
on both these points and apparently determined to remain wrong. Of
course, it might have been a mere error of judgment, but at the same
time he had no evidence whatever against her, and it seemed to suggest a
curious bias. And finally, I didn't like the look of the man."

"And then you came out to see me?"

"I went out to Keldale House first and then out to you. I next
interviewed Sir Malcolm."

"Interviewed Malcolm Cromarty!" exclaimed Ned. "Where?"

"He came up to see me," explained Carrington easily, "and the gentleman
had scarcely spoken six sentences before I shared your opinion of him,
Mr. Cromarty--a squirt but not homicidal. He gave me, however, one very
interesting piece of information. Rattar had advised him to keep away
from these parts, and for choice to go abroad. I need hardly ask whether
you consider that sound advice to give a suspected man."

"Seems to me nearly as rotten advice as he gave Miss Farmond."

"Exactly. So when I heard that Miss Farmond had flown and discovered she
had paid a visit to Mr. Rattar the previous day, I guessed who had given
her the advice."

Carrington sat back in his chair with folded arms and looked at his
employer with a slight smile, as much as to say, "Tell me the rest of
the story!" Cromarty returned his gaze in silence, his heaviest frown
upon his brow.

"It seems to me," said Ned at last, "that Simon Rattar is mix