“Oh, yes,” replied Darcy.  “Every one in town knows him as one of the prominent merchants.”

“Was he at the store the day of the—­the day Mrs. Darcy was killed?”

“I don’t remember.  So many things happened—­there were so many in the place.  As I think back, though, I don’t remember seeing him.”

“Very good.  Did he ever do any business with you—­I mean buy anything in the store?”

“Why yes, I think very possibly he might.  Most every one of prominence in Colchester, at one time or another, has made purchases in our store—­some more, some less.  No particular purchase made by Grafton stands out in my mind, however.”

“How about having his watch repaired?”

“I’d remember, I think, if I had fixed his watch.  I’m sure I didn’t.  He has a fine one, for I’ve seen him stop in front of our window and compare his time with our chronometer.”

“I see.  Now another matter.  Can you, in any way, account for the fact that so many of the clocks in the store—­clocks that, as I understand it, ordinarily go for many days—­stopped at different hours the night of the killing?  Can you explain that?”

Somewhat to the surprise of the colonel Darcy was silent for a moment.  Then the young man slowly answered: 

“No.  No, I can’t explain it.  I don’t know what did it.”

“Well, then I’ll have to fish on that alone, I guess.  I thought you, knowing a lot about clock-works, might have some explanation.  You know most of the timepieces were stopped—­all of them, in fact, except the watch in your cousin’s hand?”

“Yes, I remarked that at the time.  That watch was going.”

“Yes, so you told me—­you thought it was her heart beating.”

“I wish, oh, how I wish, it had been!” exclaimed Darcy in tones of despair.  “If it had been I wouldn’t be here.  But it’s too late to think of that now.”

“Do you happen to know what became of that watch—­the one in her hand?  It belonged to an East Indian, you said.”

“Yes, to Singa Phut.  I was to make one little adjustment in it for him, and he was to come in early to get it.  It wasn’t much.  The hair spring, I think, had become caught up and it ran very fast.  I planned to do it the night before, but the light was too poor.  So I made up my mind to get up early and attend to it.  But I never got the chance.  No, I don’t recall what happened to that watch.  I suppose the detectives have it.”

“The prosecutor did take it, but Singa Phut has it now.”

“He has!” cried Darcy.

“Yes, he called at the court house and begged that it be given to him.  Said it was an ancient timepiece, which he had owned for many years, and as it could have no connection with the crime they let him take it.”

“Oh, well, I suppose that was all right.  No, Singa Phut didn’t have a thing to do with the killing, I’m positive of that.”