e'd never heard of
that philosopher of yours."

"Do you mean to say that she denied ever having heard the name of
Nietzsche?"

"Not exactly. The fact is that I couldn't recollect his name, but I
gave her a sketch of his doctrines--"

"I don't expect she recognised your sketch. You were probably grossly
inaccurate."

"I gave her almost word for word what you said last night about murder
being a very virtuous thing and bullying being the highest form of
morality."

"Even so I don't expect she recognised it. You see I had to paraphrase
the whole thing to bring it down to the level of your understanding.
If you'd been in a position to quote a phrase or two, like Herren
Morale, for instance, she'd have recognised the system at once, even
without the name of Nietzsche."

"I couldn't do that, of course."

"Now I come to think of it, I don't suppose she'd have owned up to
Nietzsche in any case. She'd have been bound to deny any knowledge of
the system. You see she doesn't know that I've told you who she really
is. She probably distrusts you as a magistrate. After the brutal way
in which Sir Gilbert Hawkesby summed up against her, she would
naturally be a bit shy of any one occupying any sort of judicial
position. Of course if she knew that you were keenly interested in the
death of Simpkins it would have been different. She'd have spoken
quite openly to you then."

"I don't believe she'll kill Simpkins."

"She will if she marries him. Not that Simpkins is a particularly
objectionable man in my opinion. I rather like him myself. But Miss
King lives for her art, and once Simpkins proposes to her his fate is
sealed."

"She did mention her art once or twice," said the Major. "Now that you
remind me of it, I distinctly recollect her saying that it was the
great thing in her life."

"There you are then. Perhaps now you'll believe me for the future, and
not be starting miserable, sceptical objections to every word I say.
What did you say when she talked to you about her art? Did you
cross-question her about what it was?"

"No, I didn't. I wasn't thinking of your absurd theories when I was
talking to her. I thought she meant painting, or something of that
sort. I felt sorry for her, J. J. She seems to me to have a very
lonely kind of life."

"Of course she does--in the intervals."

"What?"

"There are intervals, of course. Miss King isn't the sort of woman to
form an intimacy with another man