e reason for the visit of this
extremely clever French girl was to induce me to deal with Rolfe, who had
begun to suspect Mrs. Holymead of some complicity in the crime; but the
real reason was to convince me that I was on the wrong track in
suspecting Holymead. Of course she said nothing to me on that point. She
produced evidence which convinced me that she was in the room when Sir
Horace died, and, as I was quite sure that she believed Holymead to be
guilty, I felt that there could be no doubt whatever of his guilt."

"It is one of the most extraordinary cases on record--one of the most
extraordinary trials," said Walters. "You blame yourself for having had
Holymead arrested but you have more than redeemed yourself by the final
discovery when Kemp was in the witness-box that he was the guilty man.
That was an inspiration."

"Hardly that," said Crewe with a smile. "I knew when he swore that he had
seen Sir Horace leaning out of the library window that he was lying.
After the murder was discovered I inspected the house and grounds
carefully, and one of the first things of which I took a mental note was
the fact that the foliage of the chestnut-tree completely hid the only
window of the library."

"Ah, but there is a difference between knowing Kemp was committing
perjury and knowing that he was the guilty man."

"There is at least a distinct connection between the two facts," said
Crewe, who after his mistake in regard to Holymead was reluctant to
accept any praise. "Kemp's description of the way in which Sir Horace was
dressed showed that he had seen him. The inference that Kemp had been
inside the house was irresistible. Sir Horace had arrived home at 7
o'clock and it was not likely that Kemp would hang about Riversbrook--the
scene of a prospective burglary--until after dark, which at that time of
the year would be about 8.30. He must have seen Sir Horace after dark,
and in order to be able to say how the judge was dressed he must have
seen him at close quarters. The rest was a matter of simple deduction.
Kemp inside the house listening to the angry interview between Holymead
and Fewbanks--Kemp with his hatred of the judge who had killed his
daughter in the dock and with his desire to do Holymead a good turn--I
had previously had proof of that from my boy Joe, whom you have seen.
Besides Kemp fitted into my reconstruction of the tragedy on the vital
question of time. How long did Sir Horace live after being shot? The