let me call in the morning."

The girl looked at him steadily and frankly.

"Thank you, Mr. Viner," she said. "It would be very kind if you would.
We've no men folk--yes, please do."

"After breakfast, then," answered Viner, and went away to join the
Inspector, who had walked into the hall.

"What do you think of this matter?" he asked, when they had got outside
the house.

"Oh, a very clear and ordinary case enough, Mr. Viner," replied
Drillford. "No mystery about it at all. Here's this Mr. Ashton been
living here some weeks--some fellow, the man, of course, whom you saw
running away, has noticed that he was a very rich man and wore expensive
jewellery, has watched him, probably knew that he used that passage as a
short cut, and has laid in wait for him and murdered him for what he'd
got on him. It wouldn't take two minutes to do the whole thing. Rings,
now! They spoke of diamond rings, in there. Well, I didn't see any
diamond rings on his hands when I looked at his body, and I particularly
noticed his hands, to see if there were signs of any struggle. No
sir--it's just a plain case of what used to be called highway robbery
and murder. But come round with me to the police-station, Mr.
Viner--they'll have taken him to the mortuary by now, and I should like
to hear what our divisional surgeon has to say, and what our people
actually found on the body."

As Viner and the Inspector walked into the police-station, Dr. Cortelyon