"What I say," rejoined Vernon tartly, for his nerves worried him. "I understand that Mr. Dimsdale is dead." "Mr. Dimsdale has been murdered," cried Miss Hest, clasping her hands and speaking in a thick, emotional voice. "Murdered in his library. No one knows who strangled him." "I know." "You!" Drench stood up alertly. "Take care, sir. Anything you say now will be noted," and he shuffled his papers like a pack of cards. "Who is guilty?" "The Spider." "The Spider!" echoed Miss Hest. "Who is The Spider, or what is The Spider?" She looked puzzled, but the Inspector, better informed, looked open-mouthed at the young man. "Do you mean to say that The Spider perpetrated this crime, sir?" he asked, scarcely able to speak from sheer amazement. Vernon, thoroughly worn out from what he had undergone, dropped into a chair listlessly. "Yes." "But this Spider?" broke in Miss Hest volubly; "I don't know who he is or what he is. Tell me if----" "Allow me," interrupted Drench sharply. He was a military-looking man, something after the style of Colonel Towton, and spoke aggressively. "Allow me, for I am in charge here, miss. The Spider is the name--if you may call it so--of a well-known blackmailer, for whom the police have been looking, and are still looking. Perhaps, Mr. Vernon--I think you said that this gentleman's name is Vernon--will explain how he comes to be possessed of such precise information." "There is no difficulty in explaining," retorted Vernon, annoyed by the suspicious looks of the officer. "Listen!" and he rapidly detailed all that he knew, all that had taken place from his interview with Dimsdale in Towton's chambers to the moment when he leapt from the taxicab to be met by the constable at the gate with the news of the murder. As the recital proceeded Drench tried to conceal his amazement, but scarcely managed to do so, while Frances Hest, for once startled out of her self-control, uttered ejaculations. It may be noted that Vernon suppressed for the moment the fact that The Spider was blackmailing Mrs. Bedge, as he did not wish to spread scandal. But Inspector Drench and the lady were put in possession of all other facts. "What was Mr. Dimsdale's secret?" asked Frances curiously. "I can't tell you, as I don't know. After the capture of The Spider he promised that I should be told. Now I shall never know." "This comes," said the Inspector bitterly, "this comes of amateur detective business. If I had been informed of the appointment I should have made arrangements to capture The Spider." "If you had been informed," retorted Vernon heatedly, "The Spider would never have kept the appointment." "Why not? He was ignorant of my plans?"