'I beg pardon, sir. I have spent part of the night with Albert, and his loose speech always drives me to the other extreme,' Simon observed, repentant.
'Has Albert seen the burglar?'
'No, sir, if it is a burglar.'
'Well,' said Hugo, 'he's quite safe where he is. He can't get down except by that door, can he?' pointing to a masked door, which was painted to represent a complete set in sixty volumes of the 'Acts of the Saints.'
'No, sir.'
'And he could only have got up by that door?' Hugo pursued.
'Yes, sir.'
'Which means that you were away from your post last night, my son.'
'I was, sir,' Shawn admitted frankly. 'When you and Albert and the lady ran off so quickly, I followed, as far as I judged expedient—beg pardon, sir. The man must have slipped in during my absence. I remember I noticed the masked door was ajar on my return. I shut and locked it.'
'That explains everything,' said Hugo. 'You see how your sins find you out.'