senseless. The right plan came to me at once as if by magic. 'Una,'
I cried, 'stand back! Wait till the servants come!' For I knew the
report of the revolver would soon bring them up to the library. Then
I waited myself. As they reached the door, and forced it open, I
jumped up to the window. Just outside, my bicycle stood propped
against the wall. I let them purposely catch just a glimpse of my
back--an unfamiliar figure. They saw the pistol on the floor,--Mr.
Callingham dead--you, startled and horrified--a man unknown,
escaping in hot haste from the window. I risked my own life, so as
to save your name and honour. I let them see me escape, so as to
exonerate you from suspicion. If they hanged me, what matter? Then I
leapt down in a hurry, jumped lightly on my machine, and rode off
like the wind down the avenue to the high-road. For a second or two
they waited to look at you and your father. That second or two saved
us. By the time they'd come out to look, I was away down the
grounds, past the turn of the avenue, and well on for the high-road.
They'd seen a glimpse of the murderer, escaping by the window. They
would never suspect YOU. You were saved, and I was happy."

"And for the same reason even now," I said, "you wouldn't tell the
police?"

"Let sleeping dogs lie," Jack answered, in the same words as Dr.
Marten. "Why rake up this whole matter? It's finished for ever now,
and nobody but yourself is ever likely to reopen it. If we both told
our tale, we might run a great risk of being seriously misinterpreted.
You know it's true; so do I: but who else would believe us? No man's
bound to criminate himself. You shot him to save my life, at the very
moment when you first learned all his cruelty and his vileness. The
rest of the world could never be made to understand all that. They'd