of hope. Presently he said:

"If you do distrust Mr. Orcutt, you must have weightier reasons for it
than any you have given me. What are they? You must be willing I should
know, or you would not have gone as far with me as you have."

"You are right," Gryce assured him. "A case so complicated as this calls
for unusual measures. Mr. Ferris, feeling the gravity of his position,
allows me to take you into our confidence, in the hope that you will be
able to help us out of our difficulty."

"I help you! You'd better release me first."

"That will come in time."

"_If_ I help you?"

"Whether you help or not, if we can satisfy ourselves and the world that
Mr. Orcutt's words were a confession. You may hasten that conviction."

"How?"

"By clearing up the mystery of your flight from Mrs. Clemmens' house."

The keen eyes of the prisoner fell; all his old distrust seemed on the
point of returning.

"That would not help you at all," said he.

"_I_ should like to be the judge," said Mr. Gryce.

The prisoner shook his head.

"My word must go for it," said he.

The detective had been the hero of too many such scenes to be easily
discouraged. Bowing as if accepting this conclusion from the prisoner,
he quietly proceeded with the recital he had planned. With a frankness
certainly unusual to him, he gave the prisoner a full account of Mr.
Orcutt's last hours, and the interview which had followed between
himself and Miss Dare. To this he added his own reasons for doubting the
lawyer, and, while admitting he saw no motive for the deed, gave it as
his serious opinion, that the motive would be found if once he could get
at the secret of Mr. Orcutt's real connection with the deceased. He was
so eloquent, and so manifestly in earnest, Mr. Mansell's eye brightened
in spite of himself, and when the detective ceased he looked up with an
expression which convinced Mr. Gryce that half the battle was won. He
accordingly said, in a tone of great confidence:

"A knowledge of what went on in Mrs. Clemmens' house before he went to
it would be of great help to us. With that for a start, all may be
learned. I therefore put it to you for the last time whether it would
not be best for you to explain yourself on this point. I am sure you
will not regret it."

"Sir," said Mansell, with undisturbed composure, "if your purpose is to
fix this crime on Mr. Orcutt, I must insist upon your taking my word
that I have no information to give you t