"Not the least. We sat in a row, and she sat facing us, fully eight feet away. And what could a confederate do? I handed her the envelopes,--she gave them back to me,--intact. Not one of us moved. When it was dark, her voice proved she was in her chair, and when I flashed on the light suddenly, there she was, without a change of posture, holding the envelopes exactly as I had given them to her. I tell you she's the real thing. I've read up on the trickery business, and all the books say that while there is lots of fraud, there is also a certain amount of telepathy or clairvoyance or whatever you call it, that's true. And that's her sort." "Well, who is the man? Did she tell you?" "No, she didn't know. But I know." "Who, then?" "Eugene Courtenay." "What?" "Of course it is. I've had him in the back of my head for some time, but I couldn't get a peg to hang a clue on. Now, I see how he could have done it. He did do it, just as the lady said. He slipped in, stabbed his man, turned off the light, and--slipped out again, past Mrs. Stannard." "Why didn't she know it?" "She did know it! Don't you see? Those two are in love. They wanted Stannard out of the way. But I don't think there was collusion. I think it was this way. You know, it is history that Mrs. Stannard and Courtenay were alone in the Billiard Room. Of course he was making love to her, and bemoaning the fact of Stannard's existence. Now, either he went from her into the studio, and she knew it, or else, he went away, as they say, and returned, through the Billiard Room--and she didn't know it." "How could she help seeing him?" "Oh, say she was crying,--or had buried her face in a sofa cushion,--or was sitting before the fire and he passed behind her. But admit that he _could_ have gone through that room unknown to her,--which, of course, he could. Well, he goes in, and, later, in the dark, he goes out the same way. I don't know about her knowledge of any part of this performance, but I think she knew nothing of it, or she wouldn't have engaged the occult lady." "She did that to clear herself." "Yes, and Miss Vernon, too. But when the Priestess, as they call her, spoke of a tall, dark man, with a beard, Mrs. Stannard was scared to death and wanted it all called off." "A tall man, with a beard?" "Yes, a dark, pointed beard! Isn't that Courtenay?" "Sounds like him. Did she describe him further?" "Yes, but only when I dragged it out of her. She vowed she couldn't see him clearly, and I pretended I wanted her to say a round, smooth-shaven face, and little by little I wormed it out, and it was Courtenay to the life. Then, Mrs. Stannard weakened on the whole show, which proves it." "You say you've thought of him before?"