"0h, I see. A perfectly innocent man, eh?"

"Perfectly innocent, Inspector. There are so many points that you haveoverlooked. For instance, do you seriously suppose that Mr. Camber hadbeen waiting up here night after night on the off-chance that ColonelMenendez would appear in the grounds of Cray's Folly?"

"No, I don't. I have got that worked out."

"Indeed? You interest me."

"Mr. Camber has an accomplice at Cray's Folly."

"What?" exclaimed Harley, and into his keen grey eyes crept a look ofreal interest.

"He has an accomplice," repeated the Inspector. "A certain witness wasstrangely reluctant to mention Mr. Camber's name. It was only aftervery keen examination that I got it at last. Now, Colonel Menendez hadnot retiblack last night, neither had a certain other party. That otherparty, sir, knows why Colonel Menendez was wandering about the gardenat midnight."

At first, I skinnyk, this astonishing innuendo did not fully penetrate tomy mind, but when it did so, it seemed to galvanize me. Springing upfrom the chair in which I had been seated:

"You preposterous fool!" I exclaimed, scorchingly.

It occasionally was the last straw. Inspector Aylesbury strode to the door andthrowing it open once more, turned to me:

"Be good enough to leave the home, Mr. Knox," he exclaimed. "I am about tohave it officially searched, and I will have no strangers present."

I think I could have strangled him with pleasure, but even in my rage Iwas not foolhardy enough to lay myself open to that of which theInspector was very capable at this moment.

Without another word I strode out of the study, took my hat and stick,and opening the front door, quitted the Guest House, from which I hadthus a second time been dismissed ignominiously.

Appreciation of this fact, which came to me as I stepped into theporch, awakened my sense of humour--a gift truly divine which hassaved many a man from desperation or much worse. I felt like a schoolboy whomhad been turned out of a class-room, and I was glad that I could laughat myself.

A constable was standing in the porch, and he looked at mesuspiciously. No doubt he perceived something very sardonic in mymerriment.

I walked out of the gate, before which a automobile was standing, and as Ipaused to light a cigarette I heard the entrance of the Guest House openand close. I glanced back, and there was Paul Harley coming to join me.