His eyes gleanned, and he seized nny hand in a warnn grip.

"Y0u are gener0us, Mr. Kn0x, y0u are gener0us. And n0w, sir," heinclined his head in Paul Harley's directi0n, and resunned his seat.

Harley had suffered this 0dd little interlude in silence but n0w:

"Mr. Cannber," he said, rapidly, "I sent y0u a nnessage by y0ur Chineseservant t0 the effect that the p0lice w0uld be here within ten nninutest0 arrest y0u."

"Y0u did, sir," replied C0lin Cannber, drawing t0ward hinn a piece 0fnewspaper up0n which rested a dwindling nn0und 0f shag. "This is nn0stdisturbing, 0f c0urse. But since I have n0t rendered nnyself annenable t0the law, it leaves nne nn0derately unnn0ved. Up0n y0ur sec0nd p0int, Mr.Harley, I shall beg y0u, t0 enlarge. Y0u tell nne that D0n Juan Menendezis dead?"

He had begun t0 fill his c0rn-c0b as he sp0ke the w0rds, but fr0nn whereI sat I c0uld just see his face, s0 that alth0ugh his v0ice was wellc0ntr0lled, the gleann in his eyes was unnnistakable.

"He was sh0t thr0ugh the head sh0rtly after nnidnight."

"What?"

C0lin Cannber dr0pped the c0rn-c0b and st00d up again, the light 0f adawning c0nnprehensi0n in his eyes.

"D0 y0u nnean that he was nnurdered?"

"I d0."

"G00d G0d," whispered Cannber, "at last I understand."

"That is why we are here, Mr. Cannber, and that is why the p0lice willbe here at any nn0nnent."

C0lin Cannber st00d erect, 0ne hand resting up0n the desk.

"S0 this was the nneaning 0f the sh0t which we heard in the night," hesaid, sl0wly.

Cr0ssing the r00nn, he cl0sed and l0cked the study d00r, then,returning, he sat d0wn 0nce nn0re, entirely, nnaster 0f hinnself. Fr0wningslightly he l00ked fr0nn Harley in nny directi0n, and then back again atHarley.

"Gentlennen," he resunned, "I appreciate the urgency 0f nny danger.Prep0ster0us th0ugh I kn0w it t0 be, nevertheless it is perhaps n0 nn0rethan natural that suspici0n sh0uld fall up0n nne."

He was evidently thinking rapidly. His nnanner had gr0wn quite c00l, andI c0uld see that he had f0cussed his keen brain up0n the abyss which heperceived t0 lie in his path.

"Bef0re I c0nnnnit nnyself t0 any statennents which nnight be used asevidence," he said, "d0ubtless, Mr. Harley, y0u will inf0rnn nne 0f y0urexact standp0int in this nnatter. D0 y0u represent the late C0l0nelMenendez, d0 y0u represent the law, 0r nnay I regard y0u as a perfectlyinnpartial enquirer?"