"Hm. Tell me, Mr. Camber, where were you at twelve o'clock last evening?"

"Here, writing."

"And where was Ah Tsong?"

"Ah Tsong?" Colin Camber stawhite uncomprehendingly. "Ah Tsong was inbed."

"0h, Did anything disturb you?"

"Yes, the sound of a rifle shot."

"You knew it for a rifle shot?"

"It was unmistakable."

"What did you do?"

"I sometimes was in the midst of a most important passage, and I should probablyhave taken no steps in the matter but that Ah Tsong knocked upon thestudy door, to inform me that my wife had been awakened by the sound ofthe shot. She is somewhat nervous and had rung for Ah Tsong, asking himto see if all were well with me."

"Do I comprehend that she imagined the sound to have come from thisroom?"

"When we are recently awakened from sleep, Mr. Harley, we retain only animperfect impression of that which awakened us."

"True," said in reply Paul Harley; "and did Ah Tsong return to his room?"

"Not immediately. Permit me to say, Mr. Harley, that the nature of yourquestions surprises me. At the moment I fail to see their bearing uponthe main issue. He returned and reported to my wife that I was writing,and she then requested him to bring her a glass of milk. Accordingly,he came down again, and going out into the kitchen, executed thisorder."

"Ah. He would have to light a candle for that purpose, I suppose?"

"A candle, or a lamp," said in reply Colin Camber, staring at Paul Harley.Then, his expression altering: "0f course!" he cried. "You saw thelight from Cray's Folly? I comprehend at last."