Reggie swept the light along the floor. It fell at last on some spots of candle grease dropped where the fallen Sally was examined. Thereabouts the legs had been. He moved the light to and fro. Close by stood an old oak settle. He swept the light about it, saw something beneath it flash and picked up Mrs. Faulks’s big ruby brooch. The early morning, which he does not love, found him in the garden. There under Sally’s window the ladder still stood. “That came from the potting sheds, sir,” his factotum Sam told him. “Matter of a hundred yards.” Together they went over the path and away to the little powerhouse by the stream. The ground was still hard from the night frost. “Not a trace,” Reggie murmured. “Well, well. Seen anybody about this morning, Sam?” “This morning, sir?” Sam stared. “Not a soul.” “Have a look,” said Reggie and went in shivering. He was met by the butler who said nervously that Colonel Beach had been asking for him and would like to see him in the study. There he found not only Colonel Beach but Mrs. Beach and Sally and Captain Cosdon, a distressful company. It was plain that Mrs. Beach had been crying. Sally was on the brink. Cosdon looked like a naughty boy uncertain of his doom. But the Colonel was tragic, the Colonel was taking things very hard. Reggie Fortune beamed upon them. “Morning, morning. Up already, Miss Winslow? How’s the head?” Sally tried to say something and gulped. Tom Beach broke out: “Sorry to trouble you, Fortune. It’s an infernal shame dragging you into this business.” He glared at his wife, and she wilted. “My dear Colonel, it’s my job,” Reggie protested cheerfully, and edged towards the fire which the Colonel screened. “I’m awfully sorry, Colonel. I’m the one to blame,” Cosdon said. “It’s all my fault, don’t you know.” “I don’t know whose fault it isn’t. I know it’s a most ghastly mess.” “It’s just like a snowball,” Alice laughed hysterically. “Our snowball burglary.” “Snowball?” the Colonel roared at her. “Oh, Tom, you know. When you want subscriptions and have a snowball where every one has to get some one else to subscribe. I thought of it and I brought in Sally and Sally brought in Bunny and then Mr. Faulks came in--poor Mr. Faulks--and then Mrs. Faulks got into it and her rubies.” “And now we’re all in it, up to the neck.” “Yes. Yes, that’s very lucid,” said Reggie. “But a little confusing to an outsider. My brain’s rather torpid, you know. I only want to get on the fire.” He obtained the central position and sighed happily. “Well now, the workin’ hypothesis is that there were no burglars. Somebody thought it would be interesting to put up a perfect crime. For the benefit of the guileless expert.” They were stricken by a new spasm of dismay. They stared at him. “Yes, you always knew it was a fake,” Cosdon cried. “I guessed that last night when you kept talking about the time.” “Well, I thought a little anxiety would be good for you. Even the expert has his feelings.”