It was so during the three days succeeding Capella’s return from Italy.  Reviewing events in the lights of accomplished facts, Brett subsequently saw many opportunities where his intervention would have altered the fortunes of the men and women in whom he had become so interested.

Although he endeavoured to keep control of circumstances, it was impossible to predict with certainty the manner in which the fifth act of this tragedy in real life would unfold itself.

Would he have ordered things differently had he possessed the power?  He never knew.  It was a question he refused to discuss with Winter long after everybody was comfortably married or buried, as the case might be.

To divide labour and responsibility, he apportioned Ooma and his surroundings to Winter, Capella to Holden.  The strict supervision maintained over the Jiro family was relaxed.  Brett proposed dealing with them summarily and in person.

Holden had barely concluded his remarkable narrative when Hume’s reply came from Whitby, giving the address of the hotel where Fergusson resided.

Brett went there at once, and found the old butler on the point of retiring for the night.

Fergusson was at first disinclined to commit himself to definite statements.  With characteristic Scottish caution, he would neither say “yes” nor “no” until the barrister reminded him that he was not acting in his young master’s interests by being so reticent.

“Weel, sir, I’m an auld man, and mebbe a bit haverin’ in my judgment.  Just ask me what ye wull, an’ I’ll dae my best to answer ye,” was the butler’s ultimate concession.

“You remember the day of the murder?”

“Shall I ever forget it?”

“Before Mr. David Hume-Fraser arrived at Beechcroft from London, had any other visitors seen Sir Alan?”

This was a poser.  No form of ambiguity known to Fergusson would serve to extricate him from a direct reply.

“Ay, Mr. Brett,” came his reply at last.  “One I can swear to.”

“That was Mr. Robert Hume-Fraser, who met him in the park, and walked with him there about three to four o’clock in the afternoon.  Were there others whom you cannot swear to?”

The butler darted a quick glance at the other.

“Ye ken, sir,” he said, “that the Hume-Frazers are mixed up wi’ an auld Scoatch hoose?”

“Yes.”

“Weel, sir, there’s things that happen in this world which no man can explain.  Five are dead, and five had to die by violent means.  Who arranged that?”

“Neither you nor I can tell.”

“That’s right, sir.  I know that Mr. David or Mr. Robert never lifted a hand against their cousin, yet, unless the Lord blinded my auld een, I saw ane or ither in the avenue when I tried to lift Sir Alan frae the groond.”

“You said nothing of this at the time?”

“Would ye hae me speak o’ wraiths to a Suffolk jury, Mr. Brett?  I saw no mortal man.  ‘Twas a ghaist for sure, an’ if I had gone into the box to talk of such things they wad hae discredited my evidence about Mr. David.  I might hae hanged him instead o’ savin’ him.”