Without wasting any more words Marsden entered upon a brief description of everything that had taken place from the moment when Colin had returned to the house. The curt and matter-of-fact fashion in which he told his story seemed somehow or other to heighten its dramatic horror, and, in spite of the solicitor's expressionless face, it was easy to see the strained attention with which he was following every word. Once or twice he seemed to be on the point of asking a question, but on each occasion he apparently changed his mind at the last moment, as though unwilling to interrupt the narrative. "As far as I can see at present," concluded Marsden, "there are two probable lines of inquiry, both of which I propose to follow up. Either it was an ordinary case of burglary, or else the thief was after some particular object that he believed to be hidden in the study. With regard to the actual murder, I am inclined to think that it was more or less of an accident. The silly fool got rattled when the old man came in at the window, and smashed his head in before he realized what he was doing. He has probably been cursing himself ever since." "I should say that your first suggestion was the right one," remarked Mr. Medwin. "An old-fashioned house like this, shut away from the road, is exactly the sort of place that a professional burglar would select. It's very improbable there's anything more in it than that--a sordid attempt at house-breaking, ending up in a brutal and bloody murder." "Well," returned Marsden slowly, "I'm not altogether satisfied on the point. Take the question of this previous attempt. Granting it was the same man, why did he content himself with merely examining the desk?" The lawyer glanced swiftly in the direction of Colin. "Is that what the Professor told you?" he asked. Colin nodded. "He said the same thing to me," continued the other, "but I remember wondering at the time whether his statement could really be trusted. Like so many gifted men, he was curiously careless in the matter of money. It's quite possible that he may have had a bundle of notes in some drawer that he remembered nothing about." "And you think that, having whetted his appetite, the thief came back for more?" Marsden put the question almost casually. Mr. Medwin spread out his hands. "Surely it's a more likely theory than to imagine the existence of some mysterious object that nobody has ever heard of?" "I suppose that if the Professor had had any specially valuable paper or secret in his possession he would probably have mentioned the fact? I gather that you were entirely in his confidence?" "Entirely, as far as his business arrangements were concerned." "And how about his private affairs?" The solicitor paused. "I am as much in the dark as you are with regard to them. On anything that concerned himself Mr. Carter was one of the most reticent men who ever lived."