”Theysaynot。Noonenoticedany。Nottillthedoctorcame-herdoctorwhowashappilyinhisofficeinthisverybuilding。Hesawthedrops，andutteredthefirstsuggestionofmurder。””Howlongafterwasthis?Isthereanyonewhohasventuredtomakeanestimateofthenumberofminuteswhichelapsedfromthetimeshefell，tothemomentwhenthedoctorfirstraisedthecryofmurder?””Yes。Mr。Slater，theassistantmanager，whowasinthelobbyatthetime，saysthattenminutesatleastmusthaveelapsed。””Tenminutesandnoblood！Theweaponmuststillhavebeenthere。Someweaponwithashortandinconspicuoushandle。Ithinktheysaidtherewereflowersoverandaroundtheplacewhereitstruck?””Yes，greatbigscarletones。Nobodynoticed-nobodylooked。A
paniclikethatseemstoparalysepeople。””Tenminutes！Imustseeeveryonewhoapproachedherduringthosetenminutes。Everyone，Sweetwater，andImustmyselftalkwithMissClarke。””Youwilllikeher。Youwillbelieveeverywordshesays。””Nodoubt。AllthemorereasonwhyImustseeher。Sweetwater，someonedrewthatweaponout。Effectsstill，havetheircauses，notwithstandingthenewcult。Thequestioniswho?Wemustleavenostoneunturnedtofindthatout。””Thestoneshaveallbeenturnedoveronce。””Byyou?”Notaltogetherbyme。””Thentheywillbearbeingturnedoveragain。Iwanttobewitnessoftheoperation。””WherewillyouseeMissClarke?”Wherevershepleases-onlyIcan’twalkfar。””IthinkIknowtheplace。Youshallhavetheuseofthiselevator。
Ithasnotbeenrunningsincelastnightoritwouldbefullofcuriouspeopleallthetime，hustlingtogetaglimpseofthisplace。
Butthey’llputamanonforyou。””Verygood；manageitasyouwill。I’llwaitheretillyou’reready。
Explainyourselftothelady。TellherI’manoldandrheumaticinvalidwhohasbeenusedtoaskinghisownquestions。I’llnottroublehermuch。Butthereisonepointshemustmakecleartome。”
Sweetwaterdidnotpresumetoaskwhatpoint，buthehopedtobefullyenlightenedwhenthetimecame。
Andhewas。Mr。Grycehadundertakentoeducatehimforthiswork，andnevermissedtheopportunityofgivinghimalesson。Thethreemetinaprivatesitting-roomonanupperfloor，thedetectivesenteringfirstandtheladycominginsoonafter。Asherquietfigureappearedinthedoorway，SweetwaterstoleaglanceatMr。Gryce。Hewasnotlookingherway，ofcourse；heneverlookeddirectlyatanybody；butheformedhisimpressionsforallthat，andSweetwaterwasanxioustomakesureoftheseimpressions。Therewasnodoubtingtheminthisinstance。MissClarkewasnotawomantorouseanunfavourableopinioninanyman’smind。Ofslight，almostfrailbuild，shehadthatpeculiaranimationwhichgoeswithaspeakingeyeandawidelysympatheticnature。Withoutanysubstantialclaimstobeauty，herexpressionwassowomanlyandsosweetthatshewasinvariablycalledlovely。
Mr。Grycewasengagedatthemomentinshiftinghiscanefromtherighthandtotheleft，buthismannerwasnevermoreencouragingorhissmilemorebenevolent。”Pardonme，”heapologised，withoneofhisold-fashionedbows，”I’msorrytotroubleyouafterallthedistressyoumusthavebeenunderthismorning。ButthereissomethingIwishespeciallytoaskyouinregardtothedreadfuloccurrenceinwhichyouplayedsokindapart。Youwerethefirsttoreachtheprostratewoman，I
believe。””Yes。Theboysjumpedupandrantowardsher，buttheywerefrightenedbyherlooksandleftitformetoputmyhandsunderherandtrytoliftherup。””Didyoumanageit?””Isucceededingettingherheadintomylap，nothingmore。””Andsatso?””Forsomelittletime。Thatis，itseemedlong，thoughIbelieveitwasnotmorethanaminutebeforetwomencamerunningfromthemusicians’gallery。Onethinkssofastatsuchatime-andfeelssomuch。””Youknewshewasdead，then?””Ifelthertobeso。””Howfelt?””Iwassure-Ineverquestionedit。””Youhaveseenwomeninafaint?””Yes，manytimes。””Whatmadethedifference?WhyshouldyoubelieveMissChallonerdeadsimplybecauseshelaystillandapparentlylifeless?”Icannottellyou。Possibly，deathtellsitsownstory。IonlyknowhowIfelt。””Perhapstherewasanotherreason?Perhaps，that，consciouslyorunconsciously，youlaidyourpalmuponherheart?”
MissClarkestarted，andhersweetfaceshowedamoment’sperplexity。”DidI?”shequeried，musingly。Thenwithasuddenaccessoffeeling，”Imayhavedoneso，indeed，IbelieveIdid。Myarmswerearoundher；itwouldnothavebeenanunnaturalaction。””No；averynaturalone，Ishouldsay。Cannotyoutellmepositivelywhetheryoudidthisornot?””Yes，Idid。Ihadforgottenit，butIremembernow。”Andtheglanceshecasthimwhilenotmeetinghiseyeshowedthatsheunderstoodtheimportanceoftheadmission。”Iknow，”shesaid，”whatyouaregoingtoaskmenow。DidIfeelanythingtherebuttheflowersandthetulle?No，Mr。Gryce，Ididnot。Therewasnoponiardinthewound。”
Mr。Grycefeltaround，foundachairandsankintoit。”Youareatruthfulwoman，”saidhe。”And，”headdedmoreslowly，”composedenoughincharacterIshouldjudgenottohavemadeanymistakeonthisveryvitalpoint。””Ithinkso，Mr。Gryce。Iwasinastateofexcitement，ofcourse；
butthewomanwasastrangertome，andmyfeelingswerenotundulyagitated。””Sweetwater，wecanletmysuggestiongoinregardtothosetenminutesIspokeof。Thetimeisnarroweddowntoone，andinthatone，MissClarkewastheonlypersontotouchher。””Theonlyone，”echoedthelady，catchingperhapstheslightrisingsoundofqueryinhisvoice。”Iwilltroubleyounofurther。”Sosaidtheolddetective，thoughtfully。”Sweetwater，helpmeoutofthis。”Hiseyewasdullandhismannerbetrayedexhaustion。Butvigourreturnedtohimbeforehehadwellreachedthedoor，andheshowedsomeofhisoldspiritashethankedMissClarkeandturnedtotaketheelevator。”Butonepossibilityremains，”heconfidedtoSweetwater，astheystoodwaitingattheelevatordoor。”MissChallonerdiedfromastab。Thenextminuteshewasinthislady’sarms。Noweaponprotrudedfromthewound，norwasanyfoundonornearherinthemezzanine。Whatfollows?Shestrucktheblowherself，andthestrengthofpurposewhichledhertodothis，gavehertheadditionalforcetopulltheweaponoutandflingitfromher。Itdidnotfallupontheflooraroundher；therefore，itflewthroughoneofthoseopeningsintothelobby，andthereiteitherwillbe，orhasbeenfound。”
Itwasthisstatement，otherwiseworded，whichgavememytriumphoverGeorge。
V
THEREDCLOAK”Whatresults?Speakup，Sweetwater。””None。Everyman，womanandboyconnectedwiththehotelhasbeenquestioned；manyofthemroutedoutoftheirbedsforthepurpose，butnotoneofthempickedupanythingfromthefloorofthelobby，orknowsofanyonewhodid。”
Therenowremaintheguests。””Andafterthem-pardonme，Mr。Grycethegeneralpublicwhichrushedinratherpromiscuouslylastnight。””Iknowit；it’satask，butitmustbecarriedthrough。Putupbulletins，publishyourwantsinthepapers；-doanything，onlygainyourend。”
Abulletinwasputup。
Somehourslater，Sweetwaterre-enteredtheroom，and，approachingMr。Grycewithasmile，blurtedout：”Thebulletinisagreatgo。Ithink-ofcourse，Icannotbesure-thatit’sgoingtodothebusiness。I’vewatchedeveryonewhostoppedtoreadit。Manyshowedinterestandmany，emotion；sheseemstohavehadatroopoffriends。Butembarrassment！onlyoneshowedthat。Ithoughtyouwouldliketoknow。””Embarrassment?Humph！aman?””No，awoman；alady，sir；oneofthetransients。Ifoundoutinajiffyalltheycouldtellmeabouther。””Awoman！Wedidn’texpectthat。Whereisshe?Stillinthelobby?””No，sir。ShetooktheelevatorwhileIwastalkingwiththeclerk。””There’snothinginit。Youmistookherexpression。””Idon’tthinkso。Ihadnoticedherwhenshefirstcameintothelobby。Shewastalkingtoherdaughterwhowaswithher，andlookednaturalandhappy。Butnosoonerhadsheseenandreadthatbulletin，thanthebloodshotupintoherfaceandhermannerbecamefurtiveandhasty。Therewasnomistakingthedifference，sir。