“I’m inclined to agree with you, Mrs. Bates,” Morton told her, “yet you must see the difficulties in the way of a murder theory. I’m told the room was inaccessible. Is not that right, Mrs. Peyton?” Flustered at the sudden question the housekeeper wrung her hands and burst into tears. “Oh, don’t ask me,” she wailed, “I don’t know anything about it!” “Nothing indicative, perhaps,” and Morton spoke more gently, “but at least, tell me all you do know. When did you see Doctor Waring last?” “At the supper table, last evening.” “Not after supper at all?” “No; that is, I didn’t _see_ him. I am training a new servant, and I watched him as he took a tray of water pitcher and glasses into the study, but I didn’t look in, nor did I see the doctor.” “Did you hear him?” “I don’t think I heard him speak. I heard a paper rustle, and I knew he was there.” “The servant came right out again?” “Yes; my attention was all on him. I told him exactly what to do during the evening.” “What were those instructions?” “To attend to his dining-room duties, putting away the supper dishes and that, and then to stay about, on duty, until Doctor Waring left his study and went to bed.” “This servant had done these things before?” “Not these things. He arrived but a few days ago, and Ito the butler, attended to the Doctor. But Sunday afternoon and evening Ito has off, so I began to train Nogi.” “And this Nogi has disappeared?” “Yes; he is not to be found this morning. Nor has his bed been disturbed.” “Then we may take it he left in the night or early morning. Now the doctors judge that Doctor Waring died about midnight. We must therefore admit the possibility of a connection between the Jap’s disappearance and the Doctor’s death.” At this suggestion, Gordon Lockwood looked interested. Whereas he had preserved a stony calm, his face now showed deep attention to the detective’s words and he nodded his head in agreement. “You think so, too, Mr. Lockwood?” Morton asked, in that sudden and often disconcerting way of his. “I don’t say I think so,” the secretary returned, quietly, “but I do admit a possibility.” “It would seem so,” Mrs. Peyton put in, “if Nogi could have got into the study. But he couldn’t. You know it was locked—impossible, Mr. Lockwood?” “Yes,” Gordon returned. “I heard Doctor Waring lock his door.” “When was that?” asked the detective, sharply. “I should say about ten o’clock.” “Where were you, then?” “Sitting in the window nook outside the study door.” “Could you not, then, hear anything that went on in the study?” “Probably not. The walls and door are thick—they were made so for the doctor’s sake—he desired absolute privacy, and freedom from interruption or overhearing. No, I could not know what was taking place in that room—if anything was, at that time.” “At what time did you last see the doctor?”