put everything with admirable clearness, Martin. If we want to ask any more
questions later on, I suppose you will be somewhere about.'

'I shall be at your disposal, sir.' Martin bowed, and went out quietly.

Trent flung himself into the armchair and exhaled a long breath. 'Martin is a
great creature,' he said. 'He is far, far better than a play. There is none
like him, none, nor will be when our summers have deceased. Straight, too; not
an atom of harm in dear old Martin. Do you know, Murch, you are wrong in
suspecting that man.'

'I never said a word about suspecting him.' The inspector was taken aback.
'You know, Mr. Trent, he would never have told his story like that if he
thought I suspected him.'

'I dare say he doesn't think so. He is a wonderful creature, a great artist;
but, in spite of that, he is not at all a sensitive type. It has never
occurred to his mind that you, Murch, could suspect him, Martin, the complete,
the accomplished. But I know it. You must understand, inspector, that I have
made a special study of the psychology of officers of the law. It is a grossly
neglected branch of knowledge. They are far more interesting than criminals,
and not nearly so easy. All the time I was questioning him I saw handcuffs in
your eye. Your lips were mutely framing the syllables of those tremendous
words: "It is my duty to tell you that anything you now say will be taken down
and used in evidence against you." Your manner would have deceived most men,
but it could not deceive me.'

Mr. Murch laughed heartily. Trent's nonsense never made any sort of impression
on his mind, but he took it as a mark of esteem, which indeed it was; so it
never failed to please him. 'Well, Mr. Trent,' he said, 'you're perfectly