"I think not," said the barrister slowly; "it is not a large table as you see. I would either have heard him, or I should have felt him with my feet." "Your servants may have left the outer door ajar." Shepworth nodded. "Perhaps. You can question them. But after dining I returned to the drawing-room before nine o'clock." "And you did not re-enter this room until you came to see what the three heavy blows meant?" "No; I did not." "They must have been struck to make you enter the room." "I think so, Mr. Inspector. Agstone wished to be smothered with the smoke. That was why the bronze cup was smoking on the table." "Where is the bronze cup?" Bruge looked about him. "I can't say. I last saw it when the lady waved it under my nose." The Inspector meditated. "It's a queer case altogether," he mused, "and undoubtedly it is connected with the Lanwin murder," he mused again, and then looked up abruptly. "I believe that this second murder will exonerate Miss Chent," he said quietly. "I hope so," rejoined Shepworth, walking towards the door heavily, and still leaning on Prelice's shoulder. "If she is condemned for murdering her uncle, I should certainly be arrested and tried for murdering Agstone. I had every reason to kill him, since on his evidence hangs the fate of Miss Chent." "You may as well speak in the past tense, Mr. Shepworth, seeing that the man is dead. For my part, I believe that Agstone murdered his master, and was ready to throw the blame on Miss Chent so as to save his own skin. Only the assassin of Sir Oliver could have been possessed of the knife." "Am I to consider myself arrested?" demanded the barrister. "No," rejoined Bruge promptly, and held open the door; "but, of course, we must keep an eye on you," he added, smiling ambiguously. Shepworth nodded languidly, and went out with his friend. "Come into my study, Prelice," he said almost in a whisper. "That knife----" "Hush!" Prelice gripped the barrister's arm hard. He quite understood what Shepworth wished to do. "Not so loud." But he need not have been so cautious, for the door of the dining-room had been closed by Bruge, who was now probably searching the clothes of the dead man for more evidence. The two young men went into the study, which was at the end of the passage, and there found that the desk had been forced open--that is, all the three drawers on each side, six in all--in a most dexterous manner. Agstone had apparently come provided with house-breaking tools, so as to gain possession of the dagger. "But how did he know that I had it?" asked Shepworth, perplexed. "I daresay he was watching through the Grange window, and saw you take it from Miss Chent," suggested Prelice. Shepworth nodded. "Let us put the room tidy," he said hurriedly, and closing the door; "I don't want the police to fuss about here."