"Because he would have run the risk of arrest, and his real name--which, obviously, he was anxious to conceal--would have come out. No, Mr. Darrel, the dead man had some valuable object, or perhaps, some money, in his possession, and carried the revolver to protect himself against possible robbery; and that supposition," concluded the detective, rubbing his plump knees "brings me to my theory." "To your theory?" Torry pointed to the image held by Darrel, "To be precise I should say to my clue--the clue of the Blue Mummy." "I don't quite see how you bring this into the matter." "Well," said Torry, "it is all theory, I admit; but my belief is this: The red-haired man carried some valuables, money, jewels, or papers, to the woman in Mortality-lane. When he delivered up the jewel--for the sake of clearness we'll say jewel--she gave him the Blue Mummy." "Why?" "As a kind of receipt, I suppose. Red-hair took the image in his right hand intending to put it into his pocket. At that moment, having the jewel in her possession, the woman struck at him with the knife she carried, and he, thrusting out his left hand to protect himself, caught at and tore the lace of her mantle. Naturally, as he had received his death-wound--he was stabbed to the heart, you know--the Blue Mummy fell from his clasp and was found on the ground near his body." "Very ingenious," admitted Darrel sceptically, "But pure theory." "No doubt. Every detective must theorise to some extent, in order to have a basis to work on. But you must admit that my theory is a feasible one." "Certainly, but as regards this second Blue Mummy." "Oh! I believe that, after committing the murder, this woman went off to meet her assassin near Cleopatra's Needle. She gave him the jewels which he doubtless expected to receive, and he gave her, also as a receipt, the image of the second mummy. This she put in her pocket, and was turning away when he stabbed her. Then he tried to throw the body into the water, but, being interrupted, fled, leaving the work undone." "But," objected Darrel, finding flaws with the true instinct of criticism, "why do you suppose that the assassin gave this image to his victim? in the other case when she was the assassin, she gave the mummy to red-hair; it is possible, therefore, that she had this second one in her pocket." "Not if my theory is correct," retorted Torry, nettled. "The woman gave the mummy to red-hair as a receipt for the jewel; in her turn she received the second figure on delivering up the jewel to her assassin. "Well, admitting as much, why having obtained what he wanted, should he have killed her?" "Find out that and I'll find the murderer," said Torry grimly. "Well, Mr. Darrel, here is your detective novel in real life. What do you think of the plot provided by chance?" "Plot!" echoed Darrel. "I should rather call it a riddle--and one quite impossible to guess." "Ah, sir, you'll never make a detective if this mystery discourages you so early."