"I think that quite impossible, for every house, every cottage, every stable and barn even, for twenty-five miles around, has been carefully searched. Besides, this would mean that the murder had been premeditated and the coming of the motor had been pre-arranged; and lastly, as the gardener's wife testifies that the car left Geralton certainly no earlier than eleven-thirty, and as the two men reached the hotel before twelve, this precludes the possibility that they could have done more than drive straight back to the Inn, as the motor is by no means a fast one." "But, my man, they may have secreted her Ladyship in the town itself and have taken her with them to France the next morning." "Impossible. In the first place, they left alone, the porter saw them off; and secondly, no one except the two Frenchmen purchased a ticket for the continent either in the Newhaven office or on the boat." Cyril rose from his seat. Judson's logic was horribly convincing; no smallest detail had apparently escaped him. As the man piled argument on argument, he had found himself slowly and grudgingly accepting his conclusions. "As you are in my employ, I take it for granted that you will not inform the police or the press of your--suspicions," he said at last. "Certainly not, my lord. On the other hand, I must ask you to allow me to withdraw from the case." "But why?" exclaimed Cyril. "Because my duty to you, as my client, prevents me from taking any further steps in this matter." "I don't understand you!" "I gather that you are less anxious to clear up the mystery than to protect her Ladyship. Am I not right?" "Yes," acknowledged Cyril. "You would even wish me to assist you in providing a safe retreat for her." "Exactly." "Well, my lord, that is just what I cannot do. It is my duty, as I conceive it, to hold my tongue, but I should not feel justified in aiding her Ladyship to escape the consequences of her--her--action. In order to be faithful to my engagement to you, I am willing to let the public believe that I have made a failure of the case. I shall not even allow my imagination to dwell on your future movements, but more than that I cannot do." "You take the position that her Ladyship is an ordinary criminal, but you must realise that that is absurd. Even granting that she is responsible for her husband's death--of which, by the way, we have no absolute proof--are you not able to make allowances for a poor woman goaded to desperation by an opium fiend?"