“For God’s sake tell me what it all means!” I said.

“It means,” he answered, and even through his disguise I recognized the old grim smile, “that only a match stood between you and eternity!  Even now, we cannot afford to sit down, but I am not anxious to pass your door for a few minutes.  As we both have much to say, let us find a room where we can talk.”

Accordingly we went up to a large empty room at the back of the inn.  Through the open doorway I could hear the excited voices of the entire staff of the establishment, who had congregated in Martin’s room across the landing.  Never in the history of the Abbey Inn had such doings taken place.

“Perhaps,” continued Gatton, “it will save time if you tell me exactly what you have done first.”

“Very well,” I said; “but before I begin—­when did you arrive?”

“An hour and a half after receiving your code telegram!  I came by car.  The car is at Manton now.”

“Why this disguise?”

“I will explain in a moment.  But meanwhile—­your own story.”

At that, although consumed with impatience, I quickly outlined my movements from the time of my arrival at Upper Crossleys, the Inspector following me closely.  The tale concluded: 

“Now, Gatton!” I cried—­“for heaven’s sake tell me what it all means!”

“I will tell you all I know,” he replied slowly.  “In the first place I had two reasons for suggesting the visit to Friar’s Park.  I had formed an opinion that the ‘cat-woman’ was interested in you.  Whether because she regarded you as dangerous or from some other cause I could not determine.  And I thought of a plan for finding out if she was by any chance associated with Friar’s Park.  It was to send you down here (a) to make straightforward inquiries, and (b) to ’draw the cat’!”

“Very good of you!” I murmured.

“I warned you it was dangerous!” said Gatton grimly.  “But I am pleased to say the plan worked to perfection.  Your own inquiries have been highly satisfactory and you have also ‘drawn the cat’!  Now just to show you how dramatic your discoveries really were I will explain my second and more important reason and the one which primarily had prompted me to turn my attention to Friar’s Park.  A few hours before you came to the Yard the other morning—­to see the bag dropped in the water by Eric Coverly—­I had been in touch with the solicitors who had acted for the late Sir Burnham.”

“Ah!” I exclaimed—­“what had they to say?”

“I was seeking information of course respecting the entail; in short, trying to fathom the mystery of what Eric Coverly would have had to gain by getting his cousin out of the way.  I learned that financially he gained nothing but a bundle of debts.  Friar’s Park was mortgaged to the hilt.  Furthermore, Lady Burnham Coverly had a life interest in the property under the will of her husband.

“Next, from the senior partner, a solicitor of the old school who still retained pleasant memories of Sir Burnham’s port, I learned a number of very significant details.”