“Never mind that now:  I’m playing detective for the time being.  Let me see Jerrold for you and find out what he has to offer.  Then you can decide.  Are you willing?  All right!  But remember this while I think of it.  You admit that the light you saw on the wall Sunday night was exactly like that which you saw the night of your adventure, and that the shadows were thrown in the same way.  You thought that night that the light was turned up and afterwards turned out in her room, and that it was her figure you saw at the window.  Didn’t you?”

“Yes.  What then?”

“Well, I believe her statement that she saw and heard nothing until reveille.  I believe it was Mrs. Maynard who did the whole thing, without Miss Renwick’s knowing anything about it.”

“Why?”

“Because I accomplished the feat with the aid of the little night-lamp that I found by the colonel’s bedside.  It is my theory that Mrs. Maynard was restless after the colonel finally fell asleep, that she heard your tumble, and took her little lamp, crossed over into Miss Renwick’s room, opened the door without creaking, as I can do to your satisfaction, found her sleeping quietly, but the room a trifle close and warm, set her night-lamp down on the table, as I did, threw her shadow on the wall, as I did, and opened the shade, as you thought her daughter did.  Then she withdrew, and left those doors open,—­both hers and her daughter’s,—­and the light, instead of being turned down, as you thought, was simply carried back into her own room.”

“That is all possible.  But how about the man in her room?  Nothing was stolen, though money and jewelry were lying around loose.  If theft was not the object, what was?”

“Theft certainly was not, and I’m not prepared to say what was, but I have reason to believe it wasn’t Miss Renwick.”

“Anything to prove it?”

“Yes; and, though time is precious and I cannot show you, you may take my word for it.  We must be off at noon, and both of us have much to do, but there may be no other chance to talk, and before you leave this post I want you to realize her utter innocence.”

“I want to, Armitage.”

“I know you do:  so look here.  We assume that the same man paid the night visit both here and at Sablon, and that he wanted to see the same person,—­if he did not come to steal:  do we not?”

“Yes.”

“We know that at Sablon it was Mrs. Maynard he sought and called.  The colonel says so.”

“Yes.”

“Presumably, then, it was she—­not her daughter—­he had some reasons for wanting to see here at Sibley.  What is more, if he wanted to see Miss Renwick there was nothing to prevent his going right into her window?”

“Nothing.”