The housekeeper’s room had heard something of the news by this time, and Audrey had had a busy time explaining to other members of the staff exactly what _he_ had said, and what _she_ had said. The details were not quite established yet, but this much at least was certain: that Mr. Mark’s brother had shot himself and spirited Mr. Mark away, and that Audrey had seen at once that he was that sort of man when she opened the door to him. She had passed the remark to Mrs. Stevens. And Mrs. Stevens—if you remember, Audrey—had always said that people didn’t go away to Australia except for very good reasons. Elsie agreed with both of them, but she had a contribution of her own to make. She had actually heard Mr. Mark in the office, threatening his brother. “You mean Mr. Robert,” said the second parlour-maid. She had been having a little nap in her room, but she had heard the bang. In fact, it had woken her up—just like something going off, it was. “It was Mr. Mark’s voice,” said Elsie firmly. “Pleading for mercy,” said an eager-eyed kitchen-maid hopefully from the door, and was hurried out again by the others, wishing that she had not given her presence away. But it was hard to listen in silence when she knew so well from her novelettes just what happened on these occasions. “I shall have to give that girl a piece of my mind,” said Mrs. Stevens. “Well, Elsie?” “He said, I heard him say it with my own ears, ‘It’s my turn now,’ he said, triumphant-like.” “Well, if you think that’s a threat, dear, you’re very particular, I must say.” But Audrey remembered Elsie’s words when she was in front of Inspector Birch. She gave her own evidence with the readiness of one who had already repeated it several times, and was examined and cross-examined by the Inspector with considerable skill. The temptation to say, “Never mind about what _you_ said to _him_,” was strong, but he resisted it, knowing that in this way he would discover best what _he_ said to _her_. By this time both his words and the looks he gave her were getting their full value from Audrey, but the general meaning of them seemed to be well-established. “Then you didn’t see Mr. Mark at all.” “No, sir; he must have come in before and gone up to his room. Or come in by the front door, likely enough, while I was going out by the back.” “Yes. Well, I think that’s all that I want to know, thank you very much. Now what about the other servants?” “Elsie heard the master and Mr. Robert talking together,” said Audrey eagerly. “He was saying—Mr. Mark, I mean—” “Ah! Well, I think Elsie had better tell me that herself. Who is Elsie, by the way?” “One of the housemaids. Shall I send her to you, sir?” “Please.”