"She told me a great deal which I shall impart to you gradually. Her--" "One moment," interrupted Ralph, hurriedly, "tell me your opinion of her. Is she really a stupid woman, or is that stupidity feigned?" "You ask me a hard question," said the little woman, gravely. "She is stupid in many ways; but she has a cunning, protective instinct, like that of many animals with small brain power. And this cunning is cleverly masked by her apparent simplicity." "Ah!" said the barrister, significantly, "then she was really in the passage on that night?" "Yes, she was; but she wore a long rough cloak of Harris tweed which Sir Joseph had presented to her. She was therefore right when she denied to you, Mr. Shawe, that she had worn the dress." "A kind of half truth and half lie?" "Quite so. But I threatened to set Inspector Lanton to question her unless she was frank with me. She is in deadly terror of publicity, lest it should harm the spotless reputation she is so proud of. For this reason, and because I said that I would not make her confidence too public, she told me what she knew." "Then I understand," said Shawe, quietly, "that she is not guilty? If she were you would not have given such a promise." "She is certainly not guilty, to my mind," said Perry Toat, after a pause; "although other people might think different. Judge for yourself, Mr. Shawe." "Tell us what she said, and then we can judge," remarked Audrey, quickly. Perry Toat nodded. "Rosy Pearl was sleeping in an upstairs bedroom on that night. She was there for treatment, but found it impossible to sleep because the night was so warm. She therefore sat at the open window, which looks out on to the court, and for the sake of keeping the draught away--this is an important point--she concealed herself behind the curtain. The night was luminous, as it was summer, so in the half gloom she saw the outer door set in the wall of the court open and a man come in." Audrey and Ralph both uttered an exclamation simultaneously. "Who was the man?" asked the barrister, hurriedly. "Miss Pearl could not tell me, as it was too dark to see the man's face. She saw him steal round the court, apparently coming to the door which gave admission into the house. She naturally did not know of the door; but as the man disappeared from her gaze she thought that he must have entered the house. For the moment she thought it strange; but not knowing that the door of the court was kept locked she concluded that someone connected with the Pink Shop had simply entered the house." Ralph nodded. "It was natural that she should not suspect anything. A man's entrance in that commonplace way would not look suspicious to a woman who was ignorant of the constantly-locked door. Well--"