“We don’t go quite so fast as that,” observed the officer, in an impassive manner.  “I only said I found the inquiry pointing to Miles; and that he was well worthy of attention.  He was much more in the old Squire’s confidence than many people supposed; and when I cross-examined him he told me a good deal that was worth knowing.  I’ve got it all down in these notes here; but at the moment I’ll only trouble you with one detail of it.  One night this butler was just outside the Squire’s dining-room door, when he heard the noise of a violent quarrel.  The Squire was a violent gentleman, from time to time; but the curious thing about this scene was that the other gentleman was the more violent of the two.  Miles heard him say repeatedly that the Squire was a public nuisance, and that his death would be a good riddance for everybody.  I only stop now to tell you that the other gentleman was Dr. Burton Brown, the medical man of this village.

“The next examination I made was that of Martin, the woodcutter.  Upon one point at least his evidence is quite clear, and is, as you will see, largely confirmed by other witnesses.  He says first that the doctor prevented him from recovering his ax, and this is corroborated by Mr. and Mrs. Treherne.  But he says further that the doctor admitted having the thing himself; and this again finds support in other evidence by the gardener, who saw the doctor, some time afterward, come by himself and pick up the chopper.  Martin says that Doctor Brown repeatedly refused to give it up, alleging some fanciful excuse every time.  And, finally, Mr. Paynter, we will hear the evidence of the ax itself.”

He laid the woodman’s tool on the table in front of him, and began to rip up and unwrap the curious linen covering round the handle.

“You will admit this is an odd bandage,” he said.  “And that’s just the odd thing about it, that it really is a bandage.  This white stuff is the sort of lint they use in hospitals, cut into strips like this.  But most doctors keep some; and I have the evidence of Jake the fisherman, with whom Doctor Brown lived for some time, that the doctor had this useful habit.  And, last,” he added, flattening out a corner of the rag on the table, “isn’t it odd that it should be marked T.B.B.?”

The American gazed at the rudely inked initials, but hardly saw them.  What he saw, as in a mirror in his darkened memory, was the black figure with the black gloves against the blood-red sunset, as he had seen it when he came out of the wood, and which had always haunted him, he knew not why.

“Of course, I see what you mean,” he said, “and it’s very painful for me, for I knew and respected the man.  But surely, also, it’s very far from explaining everything.  If he is a murderer, is he a magician?  Why did the well water all evaporate in a night, and leave the dead man’s bones dry as dust?  That’s not a common operation in the hospitals, is it?”