passage and into a large comfortably furnished
room, where Mr. Cromering was writing at a small table placed near a
large fire. He looked up as the visitors entered, put down his pen, and
came forward to greet them.

"I am pleased to see you again, Mr. Colwyn, and you also, Mr. Oakham.
Please draw your chairs near the fire gentlemen--there's a decided nip
in the air. I got your telegram, Mr. Colwyn, and I am at your disposal,
with plenty of time. Your telegram rather surprised me. What has
happened in the Glenthorpe case?"

"Fresh facts have come to light--facts that tend to prove the innocence
of Penreath, who was accused and convicted for the murder."

"Dear me! This is a very grave statement. What proofs have you?"

"Sufficient to warrant further steps in the case. It is a long story,
but I think when you have heard it you will feel justified in taking
prompt action."

Before Mr. Cromering could reply, the police constable who had shown in
Colwyn and Mr. Oakham entered the room and said that Superintendent
Galloway, from Durrington, was outside.

"Bring him in, Johnson," said Mr. Cromering. He turned to Colwyn and
added: "When I received your telegram I telephoned to Galloway and asked
him to be here this afternoon. As he worked up the case against
Penreath, I thought it better that he should be present and hear what
you have to say. You have no objection, I suppose?"

"On the contrary, I shall be very glad for Galloway to hear what I have
to say."

The police constable returned, ushering in Superintendent Galloway, who
looked rather surprised when he saw his superior officer's visitors. He
nodded briefly to Colwyn, and looked inquiringly at the chief constable.

"Mr. Colwyn has discovered some fresh facts in the Glenthorpe murder,
Galloway," explained Mr. Cromering. "I sent for you in order that you
might hear what they are."

"What sort of facts?" asked Galloway, with a quick glance at the
detective.

"That is what Mr. Colwyn proposes to explain to us."

"I shall have to go back to the beginning of our investigations to do
so--to the day when we motored from Durrington to Flegne," said the
detective. "We went there with the strong presumption in our minds that
Penreath was the criminal, because of suspicious facts previously known
about him. He was short of money, he had concealed his right name when
registering at the hotel, and his behaviour at the breakfast table the
morning of his departure sugg