“What am I to think then?” demanded the detective.

“What you like.”

“That you love this Susan Grant?”

“I tell you I never set eyes on her,” said Cuthbert violently.

“Then how does she come into possession of your portrait?” asked the other.  Then seeing that Mallow refused to speak, he laid a persuasive hand on his shoulder.  “You must speak out,” he said quickly, “you have told me so much you must tell me all.  Matters can’t stand as they are.  No,” here Jennings looked straight into Mallow’s eyes, “you did not give that portrait to Susan Grant.”

“I never said so.”

“Don’t be an ass, Mallow.  You say you don’t know the girl, therefore you can hardly have given her the photograph.  Now the inscription shows that it was given to a woman you are in love with.  You told me when you introduced me to Miss Saxon that she was the only woman you ever loved.  Therefore you gave this portrait with its tender inscription to her.”

“I—­I can’t say.”

“You mean you won’t trust me,” said Jennings.

Cuthbert rose quickly and flung off his friend’s arm.  “I wish to Heaven I had never opened my mouth to you,” he said.

“My dear fellow, you should show more confidence in me.  I know quite well why you won’t acknowledge that you gave this photograph to Miss Saxon.  You think it will implicate her in the matter.”

“Jennings!” cried Cuthbert, his face growing red and fierce.

“Wait a moment,” resumed the other calmly and without flinching.  “I can explain.  You gave the photograph to Miss Saxon.  She gave it to Miss Loach, and Susan Grant falling in love with your face, took possession of it.  It was found in her trunk.”

“Yes—­yes, that’s it!” cried Mallow, catching at a straw.  “I did give the photograph to Juliet, and no doubt she gave it to her aunt.  It would be easy for this girl to take it.  Though why she should steal it,” said Cuthbert perplexed, “I really can’t say!”

“You don’t know her?” asked Jennings.

“No.  Really, I don’t.  The name is quite unknown to me.  What is the girl like in appearance?” Jennings described Susan to the best of his ability, but Cuthbert shook his head.  “No, I never saw her.  You say she had this photograph in her trunk?” Then, on receiving an affirmative reply, “She may have found it lying about and have taken it, though why she should I can’t say.”

“So you said before,” said Jennings dryly.  “But strange as it may appear, Mallow, this girl is in love with you.”

“How do you know that?”

“Well, you see,” said Miles, slowly.  “After the murder I searched the boxes of the servants in the house for the weapon.”

“But there was no danger of them being accused?”

“No.  Nor would I have searched their boxes had they not insisted.  But they were all so afraid of being accused, that they wished to exonerate themselves as much as possible.  The fact that the whole four were in the kitchen together at the time the crime was committed quite clears them.  However, they insisted, so I looked into their boxes.  I found this photograph in the box of the new housemaid.  She refused to state how it came into her possession, and became so red, and wept so much, that I soon saw that she loved you.”