"About nine o'clock; or a bit earlier, it might be--I know it was dark and I had finished my supper--Mr. Pym came back," resumed the landlady. "He seemed in an ill-humour, and he had been having more to drink. 'Light my lamp, Mother Richenough,' says he roughly, 'and shut the shutters: I've got a letter to write.' I lighted the lamp, and he got out some paper of his that was left in the table-drawer, and the ink, and sat down. After closing the shutters I went to the front-door, and there I saw Captain Tanerton. He asked me----" "What did he ask you?" cried Mr. Freeman's lawyer, for she had come to a dead standstill. "Well, the captain asked me whether any young lady had been there. He had asked the same question afore, sir: Mr. Pym's cousin, or sister, I b'lieve he meant. I told him No, and he went into the parlour to Mr. Pym." "What then?" "Well, gentlemen, I went back to my kitchen, and shut myself in by my bit o' fire; and, being all lonely like, I a'most dozed off. Not quite; they made so much noise in the parlour, quarrelling." "Quarrelling?" cried the lawyer. "Yes, sir; and were roaring out at one another like wolves. Mr. ----" "Stay a moment, ma'am. How long was it after you admitted Captain Tanerton that you heard this quarrelling?" "Not above three or four minutes, sir. I'm sure of that. 'Mr. Pym's catching it from his captain, and he is just in the right mood to take it unkindly,' I thought to myself. However, it was no business of mine. The sounds soon ceased, and I was just dozing off again, when Mr. Saxby came home. He went into the parlour to see Mr. Pym, and found him lying dead on the floor." A silent pause. "You are sure, ma'am, it was Captain Tanerton who was quarrelling with him?" cried the lawyer, who asked more questions than all the rest put together. "Of course I am sure," returned Mrs. Richenough. "Why, sir, how could it be anybody else? Hadn't I just let in Captain Tanerton to him? Nobody was there but their two selves." Naturally the room turned to Jack. He answered the mute appeal very quietly. "It was not myself that quarrelled with Pym. No angry word of any kind passed between us. Pym had been drinking; Mrs. Richenough is right in that. He was not in a state to be reproved or reasoned with, and I came away at once. I did not stay to sit down." "You hear this, Mrs. Richenough?" "Yes, sir, I do; and I am sure the gentleman don't speak or look like one who could do such a deed. But, then, I heard the quarrelling." An argument indisputable to her own mind. Sir Dace looked up and put a question for the first time. He had listened in silence. His dark face had a wearied look on it, and he spoke hardly above a whisper. "Did you know the voice to be that of Captain Tanerton, Mistress Landlady? Did you recognize it for his!" "I knew the voice couldn't be anybody else's, sir. Nobody but the captain was with Mr. Pym."