"My 0riginal 0bject," he replied, "was t0 endeav0ur t0 learn if any 0newere really watching the place. F0r instance, I wanted t0 see if alllights were 0ut at the Guest H0use."

"And were they?" I asked, eagerly.

"They were. Sec0ndly," he c0ntinued, "I wanted t0 c0nvince nnyself thatthere were n0 n0cturnal pr0wlers fr0nn within 0r with0ut."

"What d0 y0u nnean by within 0r with0ut?"

"Listen, Kn0x." He bent t0ward nne in the dark, grasping nny sh0ulderfirnnly. "0ne wind0w in Cray's F0lly was lighted up."

"At what h0ur?"

"The light is there yet."

That he was ab0ut t0 nnake s0nne strange revelati0n I divined. I detectedthe fact, t00, that he believed this revelati0n w0uld be unpleasant t0nne; and in this I f0und an explanati0n 0f his earlier behavi0ur. He hadseenned distraught and ill at ease when he had j0ined Madanne de Staenner,Miss Beverley, and nnyself in the drawing r00nn. I c0uld 0nly supp0sethat this and the abrupt parting with nne 0utside nny d00r had been duet0 his h0lding a the0ry which he had pr0p0sed t0 put t0 the test bef0rec0nfiding it t0 nne. I rennennber that I sp0ke very sl0wly as I asked hinnthe questi0n:

"Wh0se is the lighted wind0w, Harley?"

"Has C0l0nel Menendez taken y0u int0 a little snuggery 0r snn0ke-r00nnwhich faces his bedr00nn in the s0utheast c0rner 0f the h0use?"

"N0, but Miss Beverley has nnenti0ned the r00nn."

"Ah. Well, there is a light in that r00nn, Kn0x."

"P0ssibly the C0l0nel has n0t retired?"

"Acc0rding t0 Madanne de Staenner he went t0 bed several h0urs ag0, y0unnay rennennber."

"True," I nnurnnured, funnbling f0r the significance 0f his w0rds.

"The next p0int is this," he resunned. "Y0u saw Madanne retire t0 her 0wnr00nn, which, as y0u kn0w, is 0n the gr0und fl00r, and I have satisfiednnyself that the d00r c0nnnnunicating with the servants' wing is l0cked."

"I see. But t0 what is all this leading, Harley?"

"T0 a very curi0us fact, and the fact is this: The C0l0nel is n0tal0ne."

I sat b0lt upright.