“By the way, I see there’s a window broken in the pantry,” she remarked casually. “You didn’t touch nothing, I hope,” exclaimed Birts hastily. “I was careful not to,” she answered; “Alfred told me it was where the—the man got in last night; so of course I didn’t.” “That’s what I says,” said Birts, “but the inspector, he doesn’t think it has anything——” he broke off, remembering Humblethorne’s injunction. “Well,” remarked Evelyn lightly, “I’ve no doubt he’s very clever, but all the same it seems a little curious to me. Doesn’t it to you?” “I must say as it does,” confessed Birts. “When did you find it was broken?” she asked. “I should say it was a little after two o’clock; at least the inspector had been gone to lunch about half an hour.” “Two o’clock this afternoon? Not till then? But didn’t you see it early this morning? I thought all the doors and windows had been examined then.” A glance at Birts’s face gave her her answer; he might have examined all the more obvious ways into the house, but it was evident that there had been some gaps. She added quickly, “No, I expect you had plenty to see to in here. What a horrible business it is!” Just then Alfred appeared with a tray and Evelyn, having learnt everything that Birts was likely to tell her, left him to enjoy his tea in peace. She went slowly to her room, turning over and over in her mind the new facts on which she had lighted. Some one might have got in by that window; she wished her mind would think that some one had, for he could have entered there unassisted. But her mind did not think so and she could not force it to; the scratches were too obvious somehow. Close on the heels of this thought came the conclusion—some one had marked the sill in order to make it seem the place where the entrance was effected. Once more she was brought face to face with evidence from which her only wish was to find an escape. This last was worst of all, arguing a deliberate intention to mislead, a desire to cover up the admittance and lay a false trail which could only have taken shape after the deed. This went beyond all her former fears and chilled her to the bottom of her heart. CHAPTER IX Evelyn and Philip