Bow Street when Aylmore was brought up
that morning. There was nothing new; the authorities had merely asked
for another remand. So far as the reporter knew, Aylmore had said
nothing fresh to anybody.

Spargo went round to the Temple and up to Ronald Breton's chambers. He
found the young barrister just preparing to leave, and looking
unusually grave and thoughtful. At sight of Spargo he turned back from
his outer door, beckoned the journalist to follow him, and led him into
an inner room.

"I say, Spargo!" he said, as he motioned his visitor to take a chair.
"This is becoming something more than serious. You know what you told
me to do yesterday as regards Aylmore?"

"To get him to tell all?--Yes," said Spargo.

Breton shook his head.

"Stratton--his solicitor, you know--and I saw him this morning before
the police-court proceedings," he continued. "I told him of my talk
with you; I even went as far as to tell him that his daughters had been
to the _Watchman_ office. Stratton and I both begged him to take your
advice and tell all, everything, no matter at what cost to his private
feelings. We pointed out to him the serious nature of the evidence
against him; how he had damaged himself by not telling the whole truth
at once; how he had certainly done a great deal to excite suspicion
against himself; how, as the evidence stands at present, any jury could
scarcely do less than convict him. And it was all no good, Spargo!"

"He won't say anything?"

"He'll say no more. He was adamant. 'I told the entire truth in respect
to my dealings with Marbury on the night he met his death at the
inquest,' he said, over and over again, 'and I shall say nothing
further on any consideration. If the law likes to hang an innocent man
on such evidence as that, let it!' And he persisted in that until we
left him. Spargo, I don't know what's to be done."

"And nothing happened at the police-court?"

"Nothing--another remand. Stratton and I saw Aylmore again before he
was removed. He left us with a sort of sardonic remark--'If you all
want to prove me innocent,' he said, 'find the guilty man.'"

"Well, there was a tremendous lot of common sense in that," said
Spargo.

"Yes, of course, but how, how, how is it going to be done?" exclaimed
Breton. "Are you any nearer--is Rathbury any nearer? Is there the
slightest clue that will fasten the guilt on anybody else?"

Spargo gave no answer to these questions. He remained silent a while