“Now, to my mind, it is perfectly clear that Mrs. LaGrange and Hobson proceeded together to the library and tower-room, where they first destroyed the will, and where she secreted him to await the result of her interview with Mainwaring, at the same time providing him with the private keys by which he could effect his escape, and with Hugh Mainwaring’s own revolver with which the terrible deed was done.  Later, finding that Mainwaring would not accede to her demands, I believe she left that room knowing to a certainty what his fate would be in case Hobson could not succeed in making terms with him, and I believe her object in coming down the corridor afterwards was simply to ascertain that her plans were being carried into execution.  Now there is my theory of this whole affair; what do you think of it?”

“Very ingeniously put together!  What about the jewels?  Do you think Hobson took them?”

“No.  I think Mrs. LaGrange got possession of them in some way.  She has no means of her own to hire that scoundrel, yet the darkey heard her promise to pay him liberally, and you see her very first attempt to pay him was by the sale of some of those jewels.  I’ll acknowledge I’m not prepared to say how or when she secured them.”

“Could she open the safe?”

“That I cannot say.  Mainwaring told me, some months ego, that he found her one day attempting to open it, and he immediately changed the combination.  Whether she had discovered the new combination, I am unable to say; but she is a deep woman, and usually finds some way of accomplishing her designs.”

“Brown, the coachman, seems to have no place in this theory of yours.”

“Well, of course we none of us thought of him in connection with this affair until since his sudden disappearance yesterday, but I am inclined to think that he is to be regarded in the light of an accessory after the fact.  I think it very probable that Mrs. LaGrange has employed him since the murder to assist her in concealing evidences of the crime, and that is why I suggested dragging the lake in search of what may be hidden there; but, according to his own story, he was in the city that night until some time after the murder was committed.”

“Yes, according to his own story, but in reality he did not go to the city at all that night.  More than that, he was seen in this vicinity about midnight with a couple of suspicious looking characters.”

“By George! when did you learn that?”

“I knew it when Brown gave his testimony at the inquest.”

“The deuce you did! and then let the rascal give you the slip, after all!”

“Don’t give yourself any anxiety on that score; I can produce Brown any hour he’s wanted.  One of my subordinates has his eye on him day and night.  At last reports, he and Brown were occupying the same room in a third-class lodging house; I’ll wager they’re having a game of cards together this evening.”