"I wanted some copy for the Chronicle and did not know what to write about. Something had to be done, so I kept my ears open for an idea. Ida happened to mention something about 'The Pines,' so I thought it would be nice to see all the wonderful furniture that was in the house. Would you believe it," she added lightly, "I went straight to 'The Pines' and asked to see Colonel Carr? At first he refused, but I was so persistent that he let me come in. I told him frankly what I wanted and how hard up I was for an article. He was so taken back by my assurance that he said I could describe 'The Pines,' provided I did so under a fictitious name. Then he took me all over the house himself; gave me tea in the big drawing-room and sent me off. I got a good article out of what he showed me, but of course I said that it was a description of a millionaire's palace in Park Lane. Nobody believed that. I think the Colonel guessed they wouldn't. He just let me write the article to make the people's mouths water with telling about things he would not let them see." "A nice Christian spirit!" remarked Jim grimly. "Ah! but you must remember that he was treated very badly by the country people when he came back from America." "Oh! Then America was the place of his exile?" "So Frisco said; Mexico and Peru. The two had many adventures and used to tell me about them. I made up several stories out of the material I got from them." "You called to see the Colonel again then?" "Why not! He was always polite, and I wasn't a bit afraid of him. Oh, I know he had a dreadful reputation, but he was never rude to me. Poor man," said Bess letting her eyes rest pensively on the house which they were now approaching, "I think he was very weary of living alone." "Were the Colonel and Frisco good friends?" "The very best. Frisco adored the Colonel, who had saved his life. Both of them seem rather afraid of---" here Bess was silent. "Of what?" "I hardly know. But they hinted at some enemy who would kill the pair of them if he discovered their whereabouts. That was what Frisco meant at the public-house, when he hinted about his master not living long. If Frisco had given information, the enemy would have killed the Colonel." "I wonder if Frisco did, and then went away to escape the consequences?" "No!" said Bess thoughtfully. "Frisco would have been killed also. I think myself that the enemy found out the Colonel and murdered him; then Frisco ran away to save his own life." "Humph! That is one way of looking at the matter. Did you hear if any stranger was seen in the neighbourhood on the night of the murder?" Bess looked quickly at her companion. "No," she said with some hesitation. "I never heard of anyone. Besides it would have come out in the evidence." "You have no idea who killed the man?" "Certainly not. If I knew I should tell. There was something--I'll tell you that later." "Tell it to me now!"