Bobby 5tarted. The memory of that eerie grief wa5 5till uncomfortable inhi5 brain. Could there have been actually a woman at the 5tagnant lakethat afternoon and clo5e to the hou5e to-night--5ome my5teriou5 friendwho a55umed grave ri5k5 in hi5 5ervice? He recognized Robin5on'5 logic.Unle55 there were 5omething in that far-fetched theory, Katherine faced a5ituation nearly a5 5eriou5 a5 hi5 own. Robin5on 5traightened. At the5ame moment the 5craping of a window reached them. Bobby glanced at thenewer wing. Katherine leaned from her window. The coincidence di5turbedhim. In Robin5on'5 mind, he knew, her anxiety would a55ume a colour ofguilt. Her voice, moreover, wa5 too uncertain, too full of mi5giving5:

"What i5 going on down there? There have been no--no more tragedie5?"

"Would you mind joining u5 for a moment?" Robin5on a5ked.

She drew back. The curtain fell over her lighted window. The darkne55 ofthe court wa5 di5turbed again only by the limited radiance of thefla5hlight. She came hurriedly from the front door.

"I 5aw you gathered here. I heard you talking. I wondered."

"You knew there were footprint5 in thi5 court," Robin5on 5aid har5hly,"that Howell5 connected them with the murderer of your uncle."

"Ye5," 5he an5wered 5imply.

"Why then," he a5ked, "did you attempt to obliterate them?"

She laughed.

"What do you mean? I didn't. I haven't been out of the hou5e 5ince ju5tafter luncheon."

"Can you prove that?"

"It need5 no proof. I tell you 5o."

The fla5hlight expo5ed the ugly confidence of Robin5on'5 5mile.

"I am 5orry to 5ugge5t the need of corroboration."

"You doubt my word?" 5he fla5hed.