"No one says you did, Foxey," was the reply. "Don't be frightened. We just want you to help us as far as you can, and not to get skeered and lose your wits." Thus reassured, Marsh mopped his head and said solemnly: "I will do wot lies in my power, gentlemen both, but I wish I 'adn't bin so blamed drunk that night." "You say you would not recognize your fare if you saw him," continued Bruce. "Could you tell us, if you were shown a certain person, that he was _not_ the man? You might not be sure of the right man, but you might be sure regarding the wrong one." "Yes, sir. It wasn't you, and it wasn't Mr. White, and it wasn't a lot of other people I know. I think if I saw the man who really got into my keb, I would be able to swear that 'e was like him, at any rate." "All right. That will do for the present. Leave us your address, so that we may find you again if necessary. Here is a sovereign for you." When Marsh had gone, Bruce turned to the detective. "Well," he said, "if Mensmore were here now, I suppose you would want to lock him up." "No," admitted White sadly; "the more I learn about this affair the more mixed it becomes. Still, I don't deny but I shall be glad to have Mensmore's explanation of his movements at that time. And so will you, Mr. Bruce." CHAPTER XXII A WILFUL MURDER Bruce sent a telegram to Mrs. Hillmer at Paris. "Matters satisfactorily arranged pending your arrival," he wired, and early on Monday morning he received a reply: "Due Charing Cross 7.30 P.M. Will drive straight to your chambers with my brother. "GWENDOLINE HILLMER." He forwarded the message with a note to the detective, asking him to be present. About one o'clock Corbett turned up. "Guess I slept well last night after the excitement," he said, with a pleasant smile. "You seemed to skeer those chaps more with a few words, Mr. Bruce, than I did with a revolver." "The English police are not so much afraid of revolvers as they are of making mistakes," was the answer. "Now, is that so? On our side they wouldn't have stopped to argy. Both of 'em would have drawn on me at once." "Then I am glad, for everybody's sake, Mr. Corbett, that the affair happened in London." "Why, sure. But tell me. Has my friend Mensmore been getting himself into trouble?" "Not so much as it looks. Others appear to have involved him without his knowledge, and he has lent color to the accusations by involuntary actions of a suspicious nature." "Well, if it is permissible, I should like to hear the straight story." Under the circumstances, Bruce thought that this stranger from America had a right to know why he was in danger of being arrested during his first twenty-four hours' residence in the country, so he gave him a succinct narrative of the _prima facie_ case against Mensmore. Corbett listened in silence to the recital. When it ended he said: