ith Mr. Krevin Crood. Did you see them come in together?"

"I let them in."

"Did you hear anything said as they entered?"

"Yes, I heard Mr. Krevin Crood say that he wasn't dressed for
dinner-parties. Mr. Mallett then told me to take Mr. Krevin upstairs
and get him anything he wanted."

"Did you take Mr. Krevin upstairs?"

"Yes. I took him up to Mr. Mallett's dressing-room. I showed him the hot
water arrangement, got him clean towels, and asked him what he wanted.
He said he wanted a clean shirt, a collar, and a handkerchief."

"A handkerchief?"

"Yes, a handkerchief."

"Did you get him these things?"

"I showed him where to get them. I opened the drawers in which Mr.
Mallett's shirts, collars and handkerchiefs are kept, so that he could
help himself. Then I asked him if there was anything more I could get
him. He said there was nothing but a clothes brush. I got him that, and
left him."

"When did you see him next?"

"About twenty minutes after, when he came downstairs and went into the
morning-room to the other gentlemen."

"Was he smartened up then?"

"He was smart enough--smarter than the others, I should say."

"Had he taken one of Mr. Mallett's shirts?"

"Yes, one of his very best white ones."

"Very good. Now then, talking about shirts, who looks after the laundry
affairs at the Bank House?"

"I do."

"You send the linen to the laundry?"

"Yes."

"And receive it and put it away when it comes back?"

"Yes."

"Always?"

"Always!"

"When does it go, and when does it return?"

"It goes on Monday morning and comes home on Saturday afternoon."

"Do you put it away on Saturday afternoon?"

"Not finally. It goes into a hot cupboard to air. Then on Monday, some
time, I put it away in the proper place--sort it out."

"I see. Do you remember sorting it out and putting away the different
articles in their proper places on the Monday before this little
dinner-party?"

"Yes, I do."

"Did you notice the presence of any article which didn't belong to the
Mallett family?"

"Yes--at least, I was doubtful."

"Doubtful, eh? Well, what was it?"

"A gentleman's handkerchief."

"You weren't sure that it was Mr. Mallett's?"

"I wasn't sure that it wasn't. And I didn't think it was."

"Why were you uncertain?"

"Well, this wasn't like Mr. Mallett's handkerchiefs. He has dozens of
them, nearly all fancy ones, with coloured borders. This was a very fine
cambric handkerchief--I'd never s