"Dark gent, with big beard--something like this gent, sir," said the private inquirer, pointing to Tom. "Was it you, Tom?" said Dick, with his old puzzled look growing more distinct upon his lined brow. "No, uncle," said Tom hoarsely; and then to himself--"Would to God it had been!" "Oh no, sir, not this gent," said the private inquirer, referring to his note-book--"something like him, but not him. He signals to the lady at the window. Lady comes down. Lady opens breakfast-room window." "How the devil do you know which is the breakfast-room?" cried Dick savagely. "My duty to know, sir," said the man, in the most unruffled way. "That's the breakfast-room door, sir. Gent goes in through window-- shuts it after him; and he didn't come out." "How do you know?" cried Dick. "Men watching back and front, sir," said the private inquirer imperturbably. "Well, Max, and if some one did, what then?" said Dick. "Suppose a policeman or some one comes to see one of the maids?" "You had better turn him out," said Max. "I should search the room." "That's soon done," said Dick, throwing open the door. "Here, John--a lighter." The boy took a taper to the hall lamp, and a couple of the burners in the breakfast-room being lit, they entered, to discover nothing. "There," said Dick, wiping the perspiration from his face, "you see there is no one here. I won't have any more of your poll-prying about. You pay men to see things, Max, and they see them." "That's an aspersion on my word, sir," said the private inquirer sharply. "Serve you right!" cried Dick fiercely. "What do you come watching for? No one else saw, I'll swear. You saw nobody come in, did you, Hopper?--nor you, Tom?" Neither answered, and Dick grew more and more excited. "I won't have it!" he cried. "I'll have the house cleared." "Without clearing your daughter's name?" said Max, with a sneer. "Clear my daughter's name? It wants no clearing," cried Dick angrily; and now his nervous, weak manner was thrown off, and he stood up proud and defiant. "Here, stop! You, Tom Fraser, and you, Hopper! I won't have you go, if it comes to that." "I would rather go," said Tom sadly, from the hall. "But I say you shall not go." "Uncle," said Tom--and he spoke in a low whisper--"let me go, for Heaven's sake: I cannot bear it." "No," said Dick sternly; "you shall not go till this has been set right. Do you, too, believe ill of my girl?" "God forbid, uncle! I only wanted to know that my case was hopeless; and I have heard." "Heard what?" whispered Dick. "What these men told you," said Tom bitterly. "Do you dare to say--" "I say nothing, uncle--only that what those men have said is true." "Here!" cried Dick furiously, "mother, quick!--tell Jessie to come here. Oh, you are there," he cried, as, hearing a door close on the landing, he looked up and saw Jessie. "Uncle, for Heaven's sake think of what you are doing," cried Tom, catching his arm.