“Put through it by Inspector Birch,” said Antony with a smile.

The inspector laughed genially.

“Well, I’ll spare you as much as I can.  Come along.”

They went into the library.  The inspector seated himself at a writing-table, and Cayley sat in a chair by the side of it.  Antony made himself comfortable in an armchair and prepared to be interested.

“We’ll start with the dead man,” said the Inspector.  “Robert Ablett, didn’t you say?” He took out his notebook.

“Yes.  Brother of Mark Ablett, who lives here.”

“Ah!” He began to sharpen a pencil.  “Staying in the house?”

“Oh, no!”

Antony listened attentively while Cayley explained all that he knew about Robert.  This was news to him.  “I see.  Sent out of the country in disgrace.  What had he done?”

“I hardly know.  I was only about twelve at the time.  The sort of age when you’re told not to ask questions.”

“Inconvenient questions?”

“Exactly.”

“So you don’t really know whether he had been merely wild or—­or wicked?”

“No.  Old Mr. Ablett was a clergyman,” added Cayley.  “Perhaps what might seem wicked to a clergyman might seem only wild to a man of the world.”

“I daresay, Mr. Cayley,” smiled the Inspector.  “Anyhow, it was more convenient to have him in Australia?”

“Yes.”

“Mark Ablett never talked about him?”

“Hardly ever.  He was very much ashamed of him, and—­well, very glad he was in Australia.”

“Did he write Mark sometimes?”

“Occasionally.  Perhaps three or four times in the last five years.”

“Asking for money?”

“Something of the sort.  I don’t think Mark always answered them.  As far as I know, he never sent any money.”

“Now your own private opinion, Mr. Cayley.  Do you think that Mark was unfair to his brother?  Unduly hard on him?”

“They’d never liked each other as boys.  There was never any affection between them.  I don’t know whose fault it was in the first place—­if anybody’s.”

“Still, Mark might have given him a hand?”

“I understand,” said Cayley, “that Robert spent his whole life asking for hands.”

The inspector nodded.

“I know that sort.  Well, now, we’ll go on to this morning.  This letter that Mark got—­did you see it?”

“Not at the time.  He showed it to me afterwards.”

“Any address?”

“No.  A half-sheet of rather dirty paper.”

“Where is it now?”

“I don’t know.  In Mark’s pocket, I expect.”

“Ah!” He pulled at his beard.  “Well, we’ll come to that.  Can you remember what it said?”

“As far as I remember, something like this:  ’Mark, your loving brother is coming to see you to-morrow, all the way from Australia.  I give you warning so that you will be able to conceal your surprise, but not I hope, your pleasure.  Expect him at three, or thereabouts.’”