bottom. I refused to speak before, as I didn't wish to be
dragged into the case."

"Did you see anything in the cottage?"

"Not a thing. I saw no one--I heard no sound."

"Not even a scream?"

"Not even a scream," said Mallow; "had I heard anything I
should have gone to see what was the matter."

"Strange!" murmured Jennings, "can't you tell the exact time?"

"Not to a minute. It was shortly after ten. I can't say how
many minutes. Perhaps a quarter of an hour. But not
suspecting anything was going to happen, I didn't look at my
watch."

Jennings looked thoughtfully at the carpet. "I wonder if the
assassin escaped that way," he murmured.

"Which way?"

"Over the wall and through the park. You see, he could not
have gone up the lane or through the railway path without
stumbling against that policeman. But he might have slipped
out of the front door at half-past ten and climbed as you did
over the wall to cross the park and drop over the other. In
this way he would elude the police."