“As much as to say his chance had come.” “And that’s all you heard?” “That’s all, sir—not standing there listening, but just passing through the hall, as it might be any time.” “Yes. Well, that’s really very important, Elsie. Thank you.” Elsie gave him a smile, and returned eagerly to the kitchen. She was ready for Mrs. Stevens or anybody now. Meanwhile Antony had been exploring a little on his own. There was a point which was puzzling him. He went through the hall to the front of the house and stood at the open door, looking out on to the drive. He and Cayley had run round the house to the left. Surely it would have been quicker to have run round to the right? The front door was not in the middle of the house, it was to the end. Undoubtedly they went the longest way round. But perhaps there was something in the way, if one went to the right—a wall, say. He strolled off in that direction, followed a path round the house and came in sight of the office windows. Quite simple, and about half the distance of the other way. He went on a little farther, and came to a door, just beyond the broken-in windows. It opened easily, and he found himself in a passage. At the end of the passage was another door. He opened it and found himself in the hall again. “And, of course, that’s the quickest way of the three,” he said to himself. “Through the hall, and out at the back; turn to the left and there you are. Instead of which, we ran the longest way round the house. Why? Was it to give Mark more time in which to escape? Only, in that case—why _run?_ Also, how did Cayley know then that it was Mark who was trying to escape? If he had guessed—well, not guessed, but been afraid—that one had shot the other, it was much more likely that Robert had shot Mark. Indeed, he had admitted that this was what he thought. The first thing he had said when he turned the body over was, ‘Thank God! I was afraid it was Mark.’ But why should he want to give _Robert_ time in which to get away? And again—why _run,_ if he did want to give him time?” Antony went out of the house again to the lawns at the back, and sat down on a bench in view of the office windows. “Now then,” he said, “let’s go through Cayley’s mind carefully, and see what we get.”