“For this I think the best way would be, if you were to follow me through what transpired before the inquest. But first tell me, what do you think of Dr. Earnshaw’s statement?” “Well,” I replied, “a good many people thought that it was he who murdered Miss Elliott, and that his story of meeting Dr. Stapylton with her was a lie from beginning to end.” “Impossible!” he retorted, making an elaborate knot in his bit of string. “Dr. Earnshaw’s friends, with whom he had been dining that night, swore that he was _not_ in evening dress, nor wore a high hat. And on that point—the evening dress, and the hat—Constable Fiske was most positive.” “Then Dr. Earnshaw was mistaken, and it was not Dr. Stapylton he met.” “Impossible!” he shrieked, whilst another knot went to join its fellows. “He spoke to Dr. Stapylton, and Dr. Stapylton spoke to him.” “Very well, then,” I argued; “why should Dr. Stapylton tell a lie about it? He had such a conclusive _alibi_ that there could be no object in his making a false statement about that.” “No object!” shrieked the excited creature. “Why, don’t you _see_ that he had to tell the lie in order to set police, coroner and jury by the ears, because he did not wish it to be even remotely hinted at, that the man whom Dr. Earnshaw saw with Miss Elliott, and the man whom Constable Fiske saw with her ten minutes later, were _two different persons_.” “Two different persons!” I ejaculated. “Ay! two confederates in this villany. No one has ever attempted to deny the truth of the shaky finances of the Home; no one has really denied that Miss Elliott suspected certain defalcations and was trying to force the hands of the Honorary Treasurer towards a full enquiry. That the Honorary Treasurer knew where all the money went to was pretty clear all along—his magnificent house in Hamilton Terrace fully testifies to that. That the President of the institution was a party to these defalcations and largely profited by them I for one am equally convinced.” “Dr. Kinnaird?” I ejaculated in amazement. “Ay, Dr. Kinnaird. Do you mean to tell me that he alone among the entire staff of that Home was ignorant of those defalcations? Impossible! And if he knew of them, and did neither inquire into them nor attempt to stop them, then he _must_ have been a party to them. Do you admit that?” “Yes, I admit that,” I replied. “Very well, then. The rest is quite simple. Those two men, unworthy to bear the noble appellation of doctor, must for years have quietly stolen the money subscribed by the benevolent for the Home, and converted it to their own use: then, they suddenly find themselves face to face with immediate discovery in the shape of a young girl determined to unmask the systematic frauds of the past few years. That meant exposure, disgrace, ruin for them both, and they determine to be rid of her.