death."

"And you make this confession knowing that you are about to die?"

The flicker of a smile passed over Kent's lips. He looked at
O'Connor and for an instant saw in O'Connor's eyes a flash of
their old comradeship.

"Yes. Dr. Cardigan has told me. Otherwise I should have let the
man in the guard-house hang. It's simply that this accursed bullet
has spoiled my luck--and saved him!"

Kedsty spoke to the girl. For half an hour she read her notes, and
after that Kent wrote his name on the last page. Then Kedsty rose
from his chair.

"We have finished, gentlemen," he said.

They trailed out, the girl hurrying through the door first in her
desire to free herself of an ordeal that had strained every nerve
in her body. The commander of N Division was last to go. Cardigan
hesitated, as if to remain, but Kedsty motioned him on. It was
Kedsty who closed the door, and as he closed it he looked back,
and for a flash Kent met his eyes squarely. In that moment he
received an impression which he had not caught while the Inspector
was in the room. It was like an electrical shock in its
unexpectedness, and Kedsty must have seen the effect of it in his
face, for he moved back quickly and closed the door. In that
instant Kent had seen in Kedsty's eyes and face a look that was
not only of horror, but what in the face and eyes of another man