ave a recollection of his receiving a letter,
I did not read it, nor was it read to me."

The eyes of T. X. narrowed to the very slits and his voice became
metallic and hard.

"And if I put you into the box, will you swear, that you did not see
that letter, nor read it, nor have it read to you, and that you have no
knowledge whatever of such a letter having been received by Mr. Lexman?"

"Most certainly," said the other coolly.

"Would you swear that you have not seen Vassalaro for a week?"

"Certainly," smiled the Greek.

"That you did not in fact see him last night," persisted T. X., "and
interview him on the station platform at Lewes, that you did not after
leaving him continue on your way to London and then turn your car and
return to the neighbourhood of Beston Tracey?"

The Greek was white to the lips, but not a muscle of his face moved.

"Will you also swear," continued T. X. inexorably, "that you did not
stand at the corner of what is known as Mitre's Lot and re-enter a gate
near to the side where your car was, and that you did not watch the
whole tragedy?"

"I'd swear to that," Kara's voice was strained and cracked.

"Would you also swear as to the hour of your arrival in London?"

"Somewhere in the region of ten or eleven," said the Greek.

T. X. smiled.

"Would you swear that you did not go through Guilford at half-past
twelve and pull up to replenish your petrol?"

The Greek had now recovered his self-possession and rose.

"You are a very clever man, Mr. Meredith--I think that is your name?"

"That is my name," said T. X. calmly. "There has been, no need for me to
change it as often as you have found the necessity."

He saw the fire blazing in the other's eyes and knew that his shot had
gone home.

"I am afraid I must go," said Kara. "I came here intending to see Mrs.
Lexman, and I had no idea that I should meet a policeman."

"My dear Mr. Kara," said T. X., rising and lighting a cigarette, "you
will go through life enduring that unhappy experience."

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I say. You will always be expecting to meet one person, and
meeting another, and unless you are very fortunate indeed, that other
will always be a policeman."

His eyes twinkled for he had recovered from the gust of anger which had
swept through him.

"There are two pieces of evidence I require to save Mr. Lexman from very
serious trouble," he said, "the first of these is the letter which was
burnt, a