uncle asked me to hold my tongue. But since things have come
to this pass, you may as well know that I was there--and
about the time of the murder too."

Jennings sat up and stared. "Great heavens! Mallow, why
didn't you tell me this the other night?"

"You might have arrested me then and there," retorted
Cuthbert. "I promised my uncle to hold my tongue. But now--"

"You will tell me all. My dear fellow, make a clean breast of
it."

"Rest easy, you shall learn everything. You know that the
house at the back of Rose Cottage has been deserted for
something like twenty years more or less."

"Yes. You told me about it the other night."

"Caranby ran a fifteen-feet wall round it and the inside is a
regular jungle. Well, the house is supposed to be haunted.
Lights have been seen moving about and strange noises have
been heard."

"What kind of noises?"

"Oh, moans and clanking chains and all that sort of thing. I
heard indirectly about this, through Juliet."

"Where did she hear the report?"