Forde stared at the meek steward, scarcely believing his ears when he heard what he was saying.

‘When did Anak say that?’

‘Only the other day,’ replied Polwin. ‘I have said nothing about it to anyone, and beg you to observe, Mr. Forde, that I never in any way accused Sir Hannibal of being concerned in this crime. All I said was that Sir Hannibal went out on his bicycle. I expect the feeling against my master arises from the accusation brought by Mrs. Krent.’

‘Oh, you know of that, do you, Polwin?’

‘Yes, sir; everyone knows of it. Mrs. Krent makes no secret that she thinks Sir Hannibal killed Mr. Bowring. That is, she did say so, but lately she seems to have changed her mind.’

‘Quite so,’ rejoined the barrister, thinking of the bribe which was to be paid to the malignant housekeeper. ‘Mrs. Krent, as a woman, would say things in a hurry, which were not true. You can see for yourself, Polwin, that Sir Hannibal, having left you on the second road near St. Ewalds, could not have got over to the place where the crime was committed.’

‘Across the moors he could, sir.’

‘Good heavens, man, do you insinuate —’

‘Nothing, sir, nothing,’ said the steward hurriedly. ‘Only Anak did say that he saw Sir Hannibal near the spot. I daresay he told the quarrymen that, and so they went to wreck the Dower House.’

‘Humph! Why should these quarrymen take up the cudgels so warmly on behalf of Bowring?’

‘Well, sir, Mr. Bowring was an extremely good master, and paid them large wages.’

‘Sir Hannibal, who now again possesses the quarries, will do the same.’

‘Sir Hannibal was never famous for liberality,’ said Polwin dryly; ‘and the quarrymen liked Mr. Bowring, who used to talk to them as though he were one of themselves.’

‘As I believe he was,’ snapped Forde, considerably upset by the information of the steward. ‘He was born hereabouts of poor parents, and only became a gentleman, so-called, after he returned from Africa. By the way, Mr. Polwin, did you know him there?’

‘Slightly. He and Sir Hannibal did business in some diamond transaction. I was very hard up in Africa, and there Sir Hannibal was kind to me in giving me employment.’

‘All the more reason that you should defend him now, Polwin.’

‘I am perfectly willing to do so, sir,’ said the steward earnestly. ‘Believe me, Mr. Forde, I am deeply grateful to Sir Hannibal for what he did for me. It was not I who set the rumour afloat, but Anak, and — and —’ Polwin hesitated, ‘and Miss Warry,’ he ended.

‘Miss Warry!’ Forde stared in surprise. ‘I thought she had gone to London.’

‘She is going, sir; but has not departed as yet. She went to Mrs. Carney, who knows about fortune-telling, and had a talk with her. Mrs. Carney asked her how she came to prophesy so truly, but she refused to give an explanation.’

‘Naturally, seeing that she wishes it to be thought that she prophesied the death from a knowledge of the unseen.’

‘Don’t you believe she did, Mr. Forde?’

‘No, Polwin, I do not. Miss Warry knows something.’

Polwin nursed his chin in the hollow of his hand.

‘I believe she does, sir. She has stated very plainly that she believed Sir Hannibal to be guilty. And what with her story and Anak’s story, and a perversion of what I said about my master having gone out on the bicycle, the police are beginning to believe that Sir Hannibal is guilty.’

‘Good heavens! Things are indeed becoming serious, Polwin. But if the police suspect Sir Hannibal, why did they not arrest him?’

‘They would have done so, sir, had he not gone away. At least, Miss Stretton says so.’

‘I’ll see Miss Stretton, and also Miss Warry. Where is she?’

Polwin mentioned a quiet boarding house a stone-throw from the mansion of Sir Hannibal.

‘You’ll see Anak also, sir?’

‘Certainly; he must have made a mistake.’

‘Then you don’t believe, sir, that Sir Hannibal killed —’

‘Assuredly I do not, Polwin,’ interrupted the young man angrily. ‘I can see no reason why Sir Hannibal should have killed Mr. Bowring.’

‘They say that the money —’

Forde interrupted again. ‘Ridiculous! Sir Hannibal knew nothing about the will making him the heir. And, again, Polwin, you can tell everyone that the money is left in trust for Miss Trevick and Morgan Bowring on condition that they marry.’

Polwin started and appeared disturbed.

‘Is that marriage likely to take place, sir?’

‘Perhaps. At all events, Sir Hannibal is agreeable.’

‘And the young lady, sir? I thought,’— Polwin looked very directly at the barrister —‘that Miss Dericka had other views.’

‘Perhaps,’ said Forde again, and somewhat carelessly. ‘At all events I understand that such a match may take place. But you can see, Polwin, that if the money was thus left there was no reason why Sir Hannibal should murder Mr. Bowring. Unless,’ added Forde keenly, ‘you, Mr. Polwin, know of some reason.’

‘How should I know, sir?’

‘What about Sir Hannibal and Mr. Bowring in Africa?’ asked Forde, abruptly.

‘They were partners, sir, in some diamond transactions.’

‘And good friends?’

‘I really cannot say, sir,’ said Polwin, coldly; ‘they appeared to be good friends.’

‘Humph!’ said Oswald, rather dissatisfied. ‘And the skull?’

‘What skull, Mr. Forde?’

‘That placed in Miss Warry’s tent by an unknown person.’

‘I know nothing about that, Mr. Forde. Sir Hannibal will be the most likely person to explain.’

‘Sir Hannibal declares he knows nothing. Come, now, Mr. Polwin; you must be aware of some circumstance in Mr. Bowring’s past life — in Africa, we’ll say — which is connected with his fear of the skull.’

‘I swear I know nothing,’ replied Polwin, a trifle sullenly; then his face cleared and he looked pleadingly towards the young man. ‘Sir, I am only too anxious to be of service to Sir Hannibal, who has been a kind and good friend to me.’

‘That sounds genuine enough,’ said Forde, looking keenly into the meek face of the steward. ‘Well, Mr. Polwin, and what do you advise?’

‘What you have already suggested, sir. See Miss Warry and Anak and Miss Stretton and Mrs. Carney.’

‘Why Mrs. Carney?’

‘Miss Warry may have said something to her about her prophecy of Mr. Bowring’s death.’

‘But you told me that Miss Warry refuses to speak.’

‘Mrs. Carney told me so, sir, but Mrs. Carney may tell you otherwise. I daresay Miss Warry paid Mrs. Carney to hold her tongue.’

Forde looked at the ground and moved the hearthrug with his foot dreamily.

‘There seems to be considerable muddling over this matter, and I don’t quite see my way. However, it will be best to do what you say, Mr. Polwin. I’ll see the people you mention.’

‘And advise Sir Hannibal to keep away, sir,’ advised Polwin earnestly, ‘else he may be arrested.’

‘That will be the very best thing that can happen,’ said Forde in a grim tone. ‘Sir Hannibal, being innocent, will have no hesitation in facing his accusers.’

Polwin looked doubtfully at the barrister, and the confidence the latter expressed in the baronet’s innocence did not seem to be shared by the steward. However, he said nothing, but meekly bowed and passed out of the room. Oswald did not try to stop him. For the present he had learned sufficient to advise him as to the next steps to be taken along the doubtful path which led towards the light. In that light Forde expected to see the assassin of John Bowring, and he did not think to find him in Sir Hannibal Trevick. But Polwin, who had known the baronet longer than the barrister, did not seem so certain that Sir Hannibal was innocent. Forde felt uneasy.

‘I wonder,’ he thought, warming his hands, ‘if there is anything in Trevick’s past life in Africa which would warrant his killing Bowring. It seems to me that the Death’s Head could clear up a lot, if its significance could be known. Miss Warry also seems to have her knife into Sir Hannibal, seeing what she said. I don’t believe that she read her prophecy in the stars. She knows something, and perhaps can explain the mystery of that crowned skull. Humph! I’ll call and see Miss Warry this very evening.’

Having made up his mind to this course, Forde sent up a note to Dericka saying that he would call in the morning. He had intended to go up to the Dower House that evening, but thought it as well to postpone his visit until such time as he had seen Miss Warry, and learned exactly what was her attitude towards the baronet. Behind all the evidence which pointed to this person and that, as the enemy who was engineering Sir Hannibal’s destruction, lurked an idea in Oswald’s head that Miss Warry was the moving spirit. Yet he knew that the exgoverness had been kindly treated by the baronet, and had no reason to trouble him. But it might be that Miss Warry was one of those persons who resent kindness, and who would be willing to hurt the person who was kind for the very reason that the person had behaved well. Forde had come across that sort of individual before.

However, he postponed his decision until he had interviewed the exgoverness, a............