The butler was startled by the suddenness of the accusation, as Inspector
Chippenfield intended he should be.

"Me!" he exclaimed. "As sure as there is a God in Heaven I had nothing to
do with it."

"That won't go down with me, Field," said the police officer, giving the
wretched man another prolonged penetrating look.

"It's true; it's true!" he protested wildly. "I had nothing to do with
it. I couldn't do a thing like that, sir. I couldn't kill a man if I
wanted to--I haven't the nerve. But I knew I would be suspected," he
added, in a tone of self-pity.

"Oh, you did?" replied Inspector Chippenfield. "And why was that?"

"Because of my past."

"Where were you on the date of the murder?"

"In the morning I came over here to look round as usual, and I found
everything all right."

"You did that every day while Sir Horace was away?"

"Not every day, sir. Three times a week: Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Fridays."

"Did you enter the house or just look round?"