When we came down in the morning we were very careful to make no allusion to the night's happening before the servants, but strove to appear quite normal and unconcerned. I watched Parry's face when he first encountered us, but it was quite immobile. "He is either quite innocent," I thought, "or a very old hand." When we were alone, Sir Eldred was very anxious to hear what I thought. "Have you been able to form any theory," he asked, "because I haven't. I don't see how any of the servants could have let that infernal stuff loose in the room last night. I can swear there was no one there but ourselves. And for the life of me I can't see any motive. If any living person is responsible for it, he must be a lunatic, for no one here has anything to gain by my death." "You are quite sure you have no near relatives?" I said. "Absolutely," he replied. "To the best of my knowledge I am the very last of the Hampshire Mansfields." Our conversation was abruptly ended by the entrance of a maid with a sealed note. It was from Vane. "At eleven o'clock to-night," he wrote, "get Sir Eldred to tell the Parrys they must sit up with him and you in his bedroom. See that he doesn't let them off, as they are sure to make excuses. Also get Craddock to come down by an early afternoon train, and tell him to call round and see me immediately he arrives. Leave the rest to me." This note needing no reply, I hastened off at once to the General Post Office and telegraphed to Craddock. Fortunately he was at home, and wired that he would leave Waterloo by the two o'clock train. The remainder of the day passed very slowly. At ten o'clock that night someone whistled from the pines, and I knew at once that it was Vane. Craddock was with him. I conducted them both into Sir Eldred's room, where they were closeted together for some time, neither Sir Eldred nor I being allowed to enter. At last eleven o'clock arrived, and Sir Eldred went to fetch the Parrys. Both strongly demurred. Parry declared he was unwell, and Mrs. Parry said she had never heard of such a thing; but Sir Eldred insisted, and they were obliged at last to follow him upstairs. Vane and Craddock had hidden themselves so that the Parrys only saw me. "What do you want us to do?" Parry asked nervously. "Merely to sit up with us and watch," Sir Eldred said. "Mr. Anderson" (my alias) "and I have a presentiment that something may happen to-night and we don't relish the idea of facing it alone." "I'd really rather not, sir," Parry faltered.