"No, sir," replied Mountain, with a decisive shake of the head. "I couldn't say that I did that. I saw him just putting the key in the latch as I drove off." "And that's all you know?" "That's all I know, sir--all." Barthorpe, after a moment's hesitation, turned to the police-inspector. "Is there anything that occurs to you?" he asked. "One or two things occur to me," answered the inspector. "But I'm not going to ask any questions now. I suppose all you want at present is to get a rough notion of how things were last night?" "Just so," assented Barthorpe. "A rough notion--that's it. Well, Kitteridge, it's your turn. Who found out that Mr. Herapath wasn't in the house this morning?" "Charlesworth, sir--Mr. Herapath's valet," replied the butler. "He always called Mr. Herapath at a quarter past seven every morning. When he went into the bedroom this morning Mr. Herapath wasn't there, and the bed hadn't been slept in. Then Charlesworth came and told me, sir, and of course I went to the study at once, and then I saw that, wherever Mr. Herapath might be then, he certainly had been home." "You judged that from--what?" asked Barthorpe. "Well, sir, it's been the rule to leave a supper-tray out for Mr. Herapath. Not much, sir--whisky and soda, a sandwich or two, a dry biscuit. I saw that he'd had something, sir." "Somebody else might have had it--eh?" "Yes, sir, but then you see, I'd had Mountain fetched by that time, and he told me that he'd seen Mr. Herapath letting himself in at one o'clock. So of course I knew the master had been in." Barthorpe hesitated, seemed to ponder matters for a moment, and then rose. "I don't think we need go into things any further just now," he said. "You, Kitteridge, and you, Mountain, can go home. Don't talk--that is, don't talk any more than is necessary. I suppose," he went on, turning to the inspector when the two servants and the caretaker had left the room. "I suppose you'll see to all the arrangements we spoke of?" "They're being carried out already," answered the inspector. "Of course," he added, drawing closer to Barthorpe and speaking in lower tones, "when the body's been removed, you'll join me in making a thorough inspection of the room? We haven't done that yet, you know, and it should be done. Wouldn't it be best," he continued with a glance at Peggie and a further lowering of his voice, "if the young lady went back to Portman Square?" "Just so, just so--I'll see to it," answered Barthorpe. "You go and keep people out of the way for a few minutes, and I'll get her off." He turned to his cousin when the two officers had left the room and motioned her to rise. "Now, Peggie," he said, "you must go home. I shall come along there myself in an hour or two--there are things to be done which you and I must do together. Mr. Selwood--will you take Miss Wynne out to the car? And then, please, come back to me--I want your assistance for a while."