“You’ll be pretty smart if you can,” Richard sighed. “But get busy as soon as possible. Can you get over to-day?” “Yes; and I must bring my assistant,—a young lady.” “You’re to use Sir Herbert Binney’s rooms. Where shall I put the girl?” “Is there a matron or housekeeper? Yes? Then the girl will attend to all that herself. Don’t bother.” “All right, I won’t. Now, see here, Mr Wise, I want you to get at the truth, of course, but—if it leads——” “Stop right there, Mr Bates. If I take this case, it’s to get the truth, no matter where it leads. You’ve mentioned the two women most important in your life,—oh, yes, I see the importance of Mrs Everett. You are, you must be, interested in her daughter, for you showed it in your face when you spoke her name. Now, so far, I’ve nothing to connect those two women with the case, except that they are women, and the written paper accuses women. I believe that paper implicitly. I’ve had wide experience and no word of his murderer left by a dying victim is ever anything but the truth. I must see the paper as soon as I can; it may be informative. But, remember, the processes of justice are inexorable,—where the truth leads, I must follow, absolutely irrespective of personal prejudice.” “If you’re sure it _is_ the truth——” “Right. I must be sure, beyond all doubt. And I will be before I make any important decisions. You are sole heir?” “Yes, except for some minor bequests.” “Suspicion hasn’t attacked you?” Bates started at the question, but Pennington Wise seemed to think it a casual one, so Richard replied, frankly, “No, it hasn’t,—and I rather expected it.” “Yes, it would not be strange. While, as I say, I believe, so far as I know now, that women killed him, yet others may feel the written message is faked.” “Oh, it’s positively Sir Herbert’s writing; it doesn’t need an expert to see that.” “Were it not for the message, I should be inclined to look into his business relations.” “I think that’s the reason he wrote the note. My uncle was a quick thinker, and I can see how, knowing he must die, he did all he could to assist justice. I’ve no doubt he realized that attention would be turned toward men, and he wrote the truth, as far as he had strength to do so, in order to facilitate the work of his avengers. Without doubt he was intending to write the names of his murderers when his muscles or his brain power gave out.”