He pushed her gently into a chair, and seating himself on the edge of the table, told her the adventure. And Miss Penkridge, who was an admirable listener to fictitious tales of horror, proved herself no less admirable in listening to one of plain fact, and made no comment until her nephew had finished. "That poor man!" she said at last. "Such a fine, strong, healthy-looking man, too! I used to wonder about him, when I saw him in the square, I used to think of him as somebody who'd seen things!" Viner made a sudden grimace. "Don't!" he said. "Ugh! I've seen things tonight that I never wished to see! And I wish--" "What?" demanded Miss Penkridge after a pause, during which Viner had sat staring at the floor. "I wish to God I'd never seen that poor devil who was running away!" exclaimed Viner with sudden passion. "They'll catch him, and I shall have to give evidence against him, and my evidence'll hang him, and--" "There's a lot to do, and a lot'll happen before that comes off, Richard," interrupted Miss Penkridge. "The man may be innocent." "He'd have a nice job to prove it!" said Viner with a forced laugh. "No, if the police get him--besides, he was running straight from the place! Isn't it a queer thing?" he went on, laughing again. "I don't mind remembering the--the dead man, but I hate the recollection of that chap hurrying away! I wonder what it feels like when you've just murdered another fellow, to slink off like--" "You've no business to be wondering any such thing!" said Miss Penkridge sharply. "Here--get yourself another brandy and soda, and let us talk business. These two women--did they feel it much?" "They puzzled me," replied Viner. He took his aunt's advice about the extra glass, and obeyed her, too, when she silently pointed to a box of cigars which lay on the sideboard. "All right," he said after a minute or two. "I'm not going to have nerves. What was I saying? They puzzled me? Yes, puzzled. Especially the girl; she seemed so collected about everything. And yet, according to her own story, she's only just out of the schoolroom. You'll go round there with me?" "If we can be of any service to them? certainly," assented Miss Penkridge. "The girl said they'd no men folk," remarked Viner. "In that case I shall certainly go," said Miss Penkridge. "Now, Richard, smoke your cigar, and think no more about all this till tomorrow." Viner flung himself into an easy-chair. "All right!" he said. "Don't bother! It's been a bit of a facer, but--"