"Why not? The very act might excite his nerves to such a degree as to cause the trance. You know that these cataleptic states of Herne's are caused by violent emotion." "But if he had fired the shot I should have found the pistol in his hand." "He might have dropped it." "No! I searched for it," said Lucas, obstinately, "and didn't find it." "In your agitation you might have overlooked it," replied Paul as obstinately. "Gentlemen, gentlemen," cried Drek, intervening in the matter; "this discussion is unprofitable. You may both be right, and both wrong. But we shall not arrive at any conclusion by such loose arguments. Let us begin at the beginning and state all the cases." "What cases?" asked Lovel, abruptly. "The cases against all those connected with the matter," said Drek. "Dr. Lester, Miss Clyde, this Polish violinist, yourself, Mr. Herne, and finally, Mr. Chaskin. There is strong evidence against each." "I daresay," retorted Lucas, tartly, ill pleased at his name being in the list; "but such evidence has proved the most of us innocent. Dr. Lester, for instance." "Well, sir, Dr. Lester; look at the case against him. He is very poor; he wished his daughter to marry Mr. Herne, and learnt that the marriage--important to him as the means of securing a rich son-in-law to pay his debts--is likely to be broken off by the young lady's flirtation with you. The doctor becomes mad with drink, and taking a pistol, starts out to kill you. He remains away all the night, and cannot account for his actions. In the interval his daughter is killed; so we may assume that, intending to shoot you, Mr. Lovel, he shot her." "Quite so," said Paul, drily; "but all that evidence is nullified by Miss Clyde's statement." "I know that," replied Drek, with coolness, "but failing Miss Clyde's statement the evidence is strong against Dr. Lester. But he is innocent, so he is out of the case. Now Miss Clyde: she is in love with Mr. Lovel, and is jealous of Miss Lester. She takes a loaded pistol off the doctor, and is lurking in the lane to see the meeting of the man she loves with the woman she hates. Here, then, we may say that out of jealousy, and to get rid of a rival, Miss Clyde killed the girl." "That evidence is rebutted by the fact that Miss Clyde could not have arrived home in time if she had killed Milly. Her hour of arrival at the farm can be proved by Mrs. Drass. Also, if Miss Clyde were guilty, she would not have produced that pistol." "Very good," assented Drek, still imperturbable; "then we will strike out Miss Clyde also. Now, then, for Catinka. She wants Mr. Herne's money, and thinks she will lose it if he marries Miss Lester. To remove this obstacle, she comes down to Barnstead and kills the girl." "Bosh!" said Lovel, rudely. "If she had killed Milly she would not have left the clue of the rainbow feather, whereby she could be traced. You can strike Catinka out of your list also, Mr. Inspector."