He led the way to the study, where they found Nancy seated at a roll-top desk, with a couple of formidable ledgers spread open in front of her. She glanced up at their entrance, and then, laying down her pen, swung round smilingly in her chair. "You must tear yourself away from work for a minute or two," said Mark. "Colin has come to report progress." He dropped down on the sofa, and, pulling out his pipe, began hastily stuffing it with tobacco. "Fire ahead," he continued. "Let's have the whole story. I'm dying to hear what's happened, and it will just give me time for a comfortable smoke." "I'm going to shake hands with Nancy first," said Colin. He crossed the room, and, having performed the operation, very deliberately seated himself beside her on top of the padded brass fire-guard. From this position he proceeded to give them a brief but lucid sketch of what had taken place at the inquest. He described the evidence of the various witnesses, the summing-up of the Coroner, and the final and unsatisfying verdict of the jury, concluding with a short account of how he had met Mr. Medwin and the Inspector after it was over and the views which they had expressed with regard to the situation. "So, you see, we are more or less at a stop for the moment," he finished. "The police aren't likely to do much until they find the Professor's old servant or get an answer to their cable, and as for Medwin--well, I don't believe he cares the least whether the murderer's discovered or not. The money is what he's interested in, and both Marsden and I have got a notion that he's playing some low-down game of his own." "What sort of game?" inquired Nancy, who had been listening to the whole narrative with absorbed interest. "We don't know, but Marsden thinks he may have some idea who the rightful heir is, and that he's lying low until he sees the chance of pulling off a fat commission." Nancy opened her eyes in astonishment. "Surely he wouldn't be so dishonest!" she exclaimed. "I hope not," replied Colin; "but, after all, he's a lawyer." Mark hoisted himself up in his chair. "I protest," he said. "I am not going to have Nancy's ingenuous mind corrupted by any beastly cynicism." He turned to Colin. "And how about you?" he added more seriously. "This infernal business must have played the mischief with all your plans." "Oh, I'm just marking time," said Colin. "I mean to see this thing through before I attempt to do anything else." Mark nodded approvingly. "That's right," he remarked. "That's your job, plain enough." He glanced at Nancy. "I'm afraid our idea won't work," he added. "Is it a secret?" demanded Colin. "Well, as a matter of fact I was going to ask you whether you could do us a good turn. If you're busy, however----" "I should have to be devilish busy to let you down," said Colin. "What's the trouble?"