ing dragged out
into the light of day. "How did you learn all this?"

"That does not matter much just now. What you saw through the wall made
you determine to leave the house as speedily as possible, and also
caused you to destroy the letter you had written to Miss Willoughby.

"You were wrong in what you did. In the first place, you misinterpreted
what you saw through the door in the wall. By thinking Peggy guilty and
leaving the inn early in the morning, you not only wronged her
grievously, but brought suspicion on yourself. Peggy's presence in the
room was quite by accident. She had gone to ask Mr. Glenthorpe to assist
you in your trouble, by lending you money, and, finding the door open,
she impulsively went in and found him dead--murdered. And at the bedside
she picked up the knife--the knife you had used at dinner--and this."

Colwyn produced Penreath's match-box from his pocket and laid it on the
table in front of him.

"Because of the knife and this match-box she thought you guilty."

"I! Why I never left my room after I went into it," exclaimed Penreath.
"I left the match-box in the room where I had dined with Mr. Glenthorpe.
When I awoke after falling asleep, and heard the noise in the room--just
as you describe--I could not find my match-box when I wanted a match to
light my candle, then I remembered that I had left it in the
sitting-room on the mantelpiece. I happened to find a loose match in my
vest pocket."

"Peggy came to see me at my hotel, after the trial, and told me all she
knew," continued Colwyn. "It was well she did, for my second visit to
the inn brought to light a number of facts which will enable me to
establish your innocence."

"And what about the real murderer?" asked Penreath, in a hesitating
voice, without looking at the detective.

"We will not go into that just now, unless you have anything to tell me
that will throw further light on the events of the night." Colwyn shot a
keen, questioning glance at the young man.

"I will answer any questions you wish to put to me. It is the least I
can do after having made such a fool of myself. It was the shock of
seeing Peggy in the room that robbed me of my judgment. I should have
known her better, but you must remember that I had no idea she was in
the house until I looked through the door in the wall which I had
accidentally discovered, and saw her standing at the bedside, with the
knife in her hand. I started to follow her home that day