"Now that Jacob Herapath is dead. Look here!" continued Burchill, leaning forward and speaking impressively. "Take my counsel. Leave this for the moment and come to see me--now, when? Tonight. Come tonight. I've nothing to do. Come at ten o'clock. Then--I'll be in a position to say a good deal more. How will that do?" "That'll do," answered Barthorpe after a moment's consideration. "Tonight, here, at ten o 'clock." He got up and made for the door. Burchill got up too, and for a moment both men glanced at each other. Then Burchill spoke. "I suppose you've no idea who murdered your uncle?" he said. "Not the slightest!" exclaimed Barthorpe. "Have you?" "None! Of course--the police are on the go?" "Oh, of course!" "All right," said Burchill. "Tonight, then." He opened the door for his visitor, nodded to him, as he passed out, and when he had gone sat down in the easy chair which Barthorpe had vacated and for half an hour sat immobile, thinking. At the end of that half-hour he rose, went into his bedroom, made an elaborate toilet, went out, found a taxi-cab, and drove off to Portman Square. CHAPTER X MR. BENJAMIN HALFPENNY When Barthorpe Herapath left his cousin, Mr. Tertius, and Selwood in company with the newly discovered will, and walked swiftly out of the house and away from Portman Square, he passed without seeing it a quiet, yet smartly appointed coupe brougham which came round the corner from Portman Street and pulled up at the door which Barthorpe had just quitted. From it at once descended an elderly gentleman, short, stout, and rosy, who bustled up the steps of the Herapath mansion and appeared to fume and fret until his summons was responded to. When the door was opened to him he bustled inside at the same rate, rapped out the inquiry, "Miss Wynne at home?--Miss Wynne at home?" several times without waiting for a reply, and never ceased in his advance to the door of the study, into which he precipitated himself panting and blowing, as if he had run hard all the way from his original starting-point. The three people standing on the hearthrug turned sharply and two of them uttered cries which betokened pleasure mixed with relief. "Mr. Halfpenny!" exclaimed Peggie, almost joyfully. "How good of you to come!" "We had only just spoken--were only just speaking of you," remarked Mr. Tertius. "In fact--yes, Mr. Selwood and I were thinking of going round to your offices to see if you were in town."