out, returns to the scene of his crime, and there sees Villiers, whom he questions, but getting no response from him, thinks Villiers is drunk. Villiers, however, was only shamming, and tells me some time afterwards that he picked up a knife under the open window, and was cognisant of the murder. I obtain the knife, and it is the one Stewart had in the club, with the inscription on it. I think, therefore, the evidence is very clear." "In what way?" asked Eugénie quietly. The detective became a little exasperated. "Good heavens!" he said in an annoyed tone of voice, "there are three strong proofs: first, he is possessed of a large sum of money he can't account for; second, he is unable to prove an _alibi_; and third, his knife, covered with blood, is found on the scene of the crime." "So far so good," said Eugénie ironically; "your reasoning is excellent, Mr. Naball, but untrue." "Untrue?" "I repeat untrue," she replied. "With regard to the five hundred pounds--I paid that into his credit." "You," said Ezra, while Naball stared at her thunder-struck, "a poor girl." "I'm not a poor girl," said Miss Rainsford coolly. "On the contrary, I'm worth fifty thousand pounds left to me by a sharebroker in Sandhurst. I did not tell Keith of my fortune as I wanted him to love me for myself. But as I knew he was poor, I placed to his credit the sum of five hundred pounds; so that settles your first proof, Mr. Naball." "Well, it's certainly very curious," said Naball, after a pause. "I hardly know what to think--what about my second proof?" "Oh! that's more difficult to prove," said Eugénie; "but I quite believe he did wander about. He's rather absent-minded, I know." "Your answer to my second proof is weak," replied Naball sardonically. "And the third--" "About the knife? Well," said Miss Rainsford, knitting her brows, "he had it at the club, you say, and slipped it into his overcoat pocket." "Exactly." "Then he went to the Bon-Bon." "He did." "And what happened to his overcoat there?' asked Eugénie. "I can tell you," replied Ezra. "He took it off, and in mistake Caprice carried it downstairs with her fur mantle." "Oh, did she take it away with her?" asked Naball quickly. "No," said Ezra quietly, "she found out she had it when she was putting on her mantle in the carriage, and called me back to return it. I took it upstairs again, and gave it to Keith, who put it on." "And the knife was still in the pocket?" said Eugénie. "I suppose so," replied Ezra, rather confused. "I didn't even know the knife was there." "What do you think?" asked Miss Rainsford, turning to Naball. That astute young man wrinkled his brows. "I see what you are driving at," he said rapidly. "You think that Caprice took the knife out of the pocket, saw the whole chance in a flash, and committed the crime." "No! no!" cried Eugénie, horror struck. "I'm sure I don't believe she could be guilty of a crime."