s the name and address of all the
people living within a mile or two of the scene of the murder, and then
every possible particular concerning Mr. Bernard Brown, of Falcon's
Nest."

She could not help a slight start. And from his looking at her now for
the first time so fixedly, and from the abrupt manner in which he had
brought out the latter part of his sentence, she knew that he was trying
her.

"There is one more question, too, Miss Thurwell, which I must ask you,
and it is a very important one," he continued, still looking at her. "Do
you suspect any one?"

She answered him without hesitation.

"I do."

Mr. Levy, senior, stirred in his chair, and leaned forward eagerly. Mr.
Benjamin remained perfectly unmoved.

"And who is it?" he asked.

"Mr. Brown."

Mr. Benjamin looked away and made a note. If she could have seen it,
Helen would certainly have been surprised. For, though her voice was
low, she had schooled herself to go through her task without agitation.
Yet, here was the note.

"Query: Connection between Mr. Brown and Miss T. Showed great agitation
in announcing suspicion."

"Do you mind telling us your reasons?" he went on.

She repeated them after the manner of one who has learned a lesson.

"Mr. Brown came to our part of the country just at the time that Sir
Geoffrey came from abroad. They had met before, and there was some cause
of enmity between them----"

"Stop! How do you know that?" Mr. Benjamin interrupted quickly.

She told him of Mr. Brown's admission to her, and of the tragedy of
Rachel Kynaston's last words. He seemed to know something of this too.

"Any other reason?"

"He seemed agitated when he came out from the cottage, after the crime
was discovered. From its situation he could easily have committed the
murder and regained it unseen. It would have been infinitely easier for
him to have done it than anyone else."

Mr. Benjamin looked at his father, and his father looked at him.

"Can you tell me anything at all of his antecedents?" he continued.

She shook her head.

"We knew nothing about him when he came. He never talked about himself."

"But he was your father's tenant, was he not?"

"Yes."

"Then he gave you some references, I suppose?"

"Only his bankers and his lawyers."

"Do you remember those?"

"Yes. The bankers were Gregsons, and the lawyer's name was Cuthbert."

Mr. Benjamin made a note of both.

"There is nothing more which it occurs to you to