"Joe drugged the lad's supper-ale, and slipped out when he was fast asleep. He did the same the next night when he had to take Warrender's body to the vault. That was my idea, for I was terrified lest I should be traced by the murder, and I wanted to get rid of the evidence of the crime. That tramp, confound him! spoilt all." They were interrupted by the entrance of a servant, with the card of Inspector Blair. He was admitted at once, leaving a companion whom he had brought with him in the hall. "You must excuse my intrusion, sir," he said, addressing Mr. Phelps; "but I have already been to the Moat House and to the Abbey Farm in search of Mr. Thorold." "Here I am," said Alan. "What is the matter, Blair? You have some news." "I have, sir. I have been to London, and I have brought back with me a gentleman whom Mr. Beauchamp may know;" and he summoned the gentleman in the hall. "Barkham!" exclaimed Mr. Beauchamp; "you here!" Mr. Barkham was a dapper dark man, not unlike Lestrange, with an expression which a schoolboy would have called "sneaky." He did not recognize Mr. Beauchamp until that gentleman stripped off beard and wig. Then he hastened to acknowledge him. "Mr. Beauchamp," he said, in a servile voice, "I hope, as I warned you of Lestrange's plot, you will hold me blameless." "Why? What have you been doing?" "I will tell you," interposed Blair. "This gentleman, as you see, bears a slight resemblance to Captain Jean Lestrange. He and the Captain were hard up in Jamaica, and seeing your portrait, Mr. Beauchamp, in the papers, they thought they might have a chance of extorting money from you. In case Lestrange got into trouble here, he wished to have an alibi, so he left for England under another name, and Mr. Barkham here came to Southampton in the _Negress_ as Captain Lestrange." "Yes, yes," said Barkham nervously; "but I warned Mr. Beauchamp that Lestrange was coming." "Quite so; but you did not tell him that Lestrange was masquerading as a dumb man in Heathton." "What!" cried Alan and Sophy in one breath. "Was Lestrange the Quiet Gentleman?" "Yes," replied Blair, with triumph. "He confessed as much to Barkham here. That was why he wore the gray wig and beard and assumed dumbness--oh, a most effective disguise; quite a different person he made of himself! He came down to keep a watch on you, Mr. Beauchamp, in order to plunder you when he thought fit. Your unexpected death took him by surprise and upset his plans. Then Barkham, as Jean Lestrange, arrived at Southampton, and our Quiet Gentleman disappeared from his rooms here, to reappear from London in his own proper person, as Captain Jean Lestrange. No wonder that, with so carefully-prepared an alibi, we did not guess it was he who had been masquerading here." "Ha!" exclaimed Alan, "and he stole the key of the vault?" "Mr. Barkham can explain that, and other things," said Blair significantly.