"Absurd! There's no fruit this early in the year. Besides, even if it were true, she wouldn't have to repeat the process again to-night. What else haven't you told me?"
I laughed and recounted my adventures from the moment Mrs. Lawrence gave me her daughter's telegram until that other moment when Lucy Kingdon left me alone in the darkened library.
He listened without interruption, his eyes on the glimmer of light at the ventilator.
"Yes," he said, "I saw Lucy Kingdon leave the house a few minutes ago. Her sister's alone there now. What do you suppose she's doing in the cellar?"
"I can't imagine."
"You could see nothing?"
"Not a thing except her shadow moving back and forth."
"Moving back and forth?"
"Yes; it seemed to me that she was alternately rising and stooping, as though she were going through some sort of exercise."
"She'd hardly go into the cellar at midnight to exercise."