"You might be a trifle more explicit, Mr. Grant," said the
superintendent, almost reproachfully.

"In what direction? Surely a three-years-old love affair can have little
practical bearing on Miss Melhuish's death?"

"What, then, may I ask, could bear on it more forcibly? The lady
admittedly visits you, late at night, and is found dead in a river
bordering the grounds of your house next morning, all the conditions
pointing directly to murder. Moreover--it is no secret, as the truth must
come out at the inquest--she had passed a good deal of her time while in
Steynholme, unknown to you, in making inquiries concerning you, your
habits, your surroundings, your friends. Surely, Mr. Grant, you must see
that the history of your relations with this lady, though, if I may use
the phrase, perfectly innocent, may possibly supply that which is at
present lacking--a clew, shall I term it, to the motive which inspired
the man, or woman, who killed her?"

P.C. Robinson was all an eye and an ear for this verbal fencing-match.
It was not that he admired his superior's skill, because such finesse
was wholly beyond him, but his suspicious brain was storing up Grant's
admissions "to be used in evidence" against him subsequently. His own
brief record of the conversation would have been:--"The prisoner, after
being duly cautioned, said he kept company with the deceased about
three years ago, but quarreled with her on hearing that she was a
married woman."

The superintendent seldom indulged in so long a speech, but he was
determined to force his adversary's guard, and sought to win his
confidence by describing the probable course to be pursued by the
coroner's inquest. But Grant, like the dead actress, had two sides to his
nature. He was both an idealist and a stubborn fighter, and ideality had
been shattered for many a day by that grewsome object hauled in that
morning from the depths of the river.

"I am willing to help in any shape or form, but can only repeat that
Miss Melhuish and I parted as described. I should add that I have never,
to my knowledge, met her husband."

"He may be dead."

"Possibly. You may know more about him than I."

"Even then, we have not traveled far as yet."

Fowler was puzzled, and did not hesitate to show it. He believed, not
without reasonable cause, that this young man was concealing some element
in the situation which might prove helpful in the quest for the murderer.
He resolved to strike off