"Oh, he doubtless arranged that so as to provide himself with an _alibi_." "Why the deuce should he provide himself with an <I>alibi?</I>" "Can't you see that Maunders must be The Spider?" said Vernon impatiently. Towton leaped to his feet and began to walk to and fro much perturbed. "Oh, impossible! I don't like Maunders; all the same, it seems incredible that he should be a murderer." "I can't see that myself," said Vernon drily. "Maunders is half a Greek and is as wily a bird as ever had salt put on its tail. Whether he gets it from his Greek father or from his English mother I can't say, but he certainly has that strong criminal taint, which induces him to get money for his whims by illegal methods rather than by honest toil. Besides, we can't say if he killed Dimsdale, even though, as is apparent, he is The Spider. Miss Hest declared to me in all innocence, and not with any intention of defending him, that Maunders was with her nearly all the evening." "Then he can't be The Spider," insisted the Colonel, "for undoubtedly The Spider killed poor old Dimsdale." "So we thought; so everyone thinks; and yet--well, of course, it's not impossible that Maunders ordered this nameless native to get the money, and the man may have executed the murder without instructions." "Or else," said Towton emphatically, "Maunders may have had his mask torn off by Dimsdale when he came for the money and murdered the old man to prevent discovery. It cuts both ways." "Pardon me, no, if Miss Hest is to be believed." "I don't trust that woman," said the Colonel abruptly. "She is scheming to get Ida to marry her brother." "I think she will fail there, as the brother is in London." "What?" "Yes. I met him both at Lady Corsoon's and at the Bazaar. He said that his sister _did_ wish to bring about the match, but that, not being desirous of marrying Ida, he ran away from the Hall." "Leaving the field clear for Maunders?" "You forget that Maunders is in town masquerading as Diabella." "He may have come up for that purpose." "Well, we can ascertain that from Mr. Hest. He declares that he left him at Gerby Hall, or that Maunders was expected, I forget which. But we'll see him to-morrow and ask." Towton shook his head wisely. "He won't know of Maunders' movements." "You never can tell. At all events, it will do no harm to ask him. Now I come to think of it," said Vernon musingly and searching his memory, "Hest told me to-day at the bazaar that he had received a letter from his sister saying that Maunders had arrived on Sunday morning. That was yesterday, so it is impossible to believe that Maunders went down and came up in such a hurry. It's my opinion that he never went to Gerby Hall at all."