and recognise him?"

"No, sir; it would have been quite impossible!"

"And you are certain you did _not_ see him?"

"As I said before, sir, I could take my oath, I did not see him.
And if it wasn't that I don't like to contradict a gentleman, I
would say I could also take my oath that this gentlemen was quite
alone in the carriage the whole way from London to Clayborough.
Why, sir," he added dropping his voice so as to be inaudible to the
station-master, who had been called away to speak to some person
close by, "you expressly asked me to give you a compartment to
yourself, and I did so. I locked you in, and you were so good as
to give me something for myself."

"Yes; but Mr. Dwerrihouse had a key of his own."

"I never saw him, sir; I saw no one in that compartment but yourself.
Beg pardon, sir; my time's up."

And with this the ruddy guard touched his cap and was gone. In
another minute the heavy panting of the engine began afresh, and
the "train" glided slowly out of the station.

We looked at each other for some moments in silence. I was the
first to speak.

"Mr. Benjamin Somers knows more than he chooses to tell," I said.