did ring and the assassin could not have escaped at the time
it sounded. Nor could the deceased have rung it. Therein
lies the mystery, and I can't guess how the business was
managed."

"Do you believe the assassin rang the bell?"

Miles shrugged his shoulders and sipped his coffee. "It is
impossible to say. I will wait until I have more facts before
me before I venture an opinion. It is only in detective
novels that the heaven-born Vidocq can guess the truth on a
few stray clues. But what were you going to tell me?"

"Will you keep what I say to yourself?"

"Yes," said Jennings, readily enough, "so long as it doesn't
mean the escape of the person who is guilty."

"I don't ask you to betray the confidence placed in you by the
authorities to that extent," said Mallow, "just wait a
moment."

He leaned his chin on his hand and thought. If he wished to
gain the hand of Juliet, it was necessary he should clear up
the mystery of the death. Unaided, he could not do so, but
with the assistance of his old schoolfellow--following his
lead in fact--he might get at the truth. Then, when the
name of the assassin of her sister was known, the reason of
Mrs. Octagon's strange behavior might be learned, and,
moreover, the discovery might remove her objection. On the