my chambers by a back entrance about nine o’clock, and not having sufficient confidence in my make-up to enter a public vehicle, walked the whole of the way to College Road.

“I had little difficulty in finding the Red House, but on discovering that it was vacant, I immediately suspected a hoax.  However, I determined to wait in the neighborhood until the time at which the voice had warned me the meeting was to take place.  There were very few people about and a tremendous downfall of rain drenched me to the skin, for the only shelter afforded was that of the trees bordering the road unless I had been content to abandon my watch.

“Just before the downpour ceased but after it had abated its first fury, I came out from my inadequate shelter and began to walk in the direction of the High Street.  I had not gone more than twenty paces when I saw a cab approaching, and the man, seeing my bedraggled figure, slowed up, and to my astonishment asked me the way to the Red House.

“I immediately peered into the cab—­to find that the passenger was none other than Marcus Coverly.  I had begun to doubt, but at this I doubted no longer.  I gave the cabman the necessary directions and, slowly following on foot, I saw from the shelter of the trees on the opposite side of the road, Sir Marcus dismiss the cab and walk up the drive of the empty house.

“He was alone, and since I knew that Miss Merlin had not preceded him, I could only conclude that she would be following later.  Accordingly I walked slowly away from the Red House again in the direction of the High Street, and some five minutes later I passed a constable accompanied by a man wearing a light Burberry and a soft hat, whom I knew later (although I failed to recognize him at the time) to have been Mr. Jack Addison.

“I stood at the corner by the High Street until long after midnight.  Twice I returned to the Red House and once even penetrated as far as the porch; but although I thought I could detect a light shining out through the shutters of the room on the right of the door, I could not be sure of it and there was no sound of movement within.

“These were my only discoveries, and very wretched and dissatisfied I tramped back to my chambers wondering what the visit of Marcus Coverly to this apparently empty house could mean and why he had remained there, but particularly wondering why the voice had told me this part-truth which had turned me into a spy unavailingly.

“The discovery made at the docks on the following day placed a new and dreadful construction upon the motives of the speaker, and I awakened to the fact that although entirely innocent of any complicity I had laid myself open to a charge of having been concerned in the murder of my cousin.

“My ill-advised attempt to conceal the garments which I had used as a disguise,