“Go on,” said Penny Wise; “what happened as Mr. Bruce took his first sip of tea?”
“He changed countenance at once,” said Hardwick. “I was talking to him, and a queer pallor came over his face and then it turned fiery red. He dropped his cup and——”
“One moment,” said Wise; “what became of that broken cup?”
“I’ve no idea,” said the Professor, helplessly looking about him.
“I wasn’t home,” began Milly, “Mr. Braye and I had gone to East Dryden——”
“The tray was taken out as usual,” interposed Eve, but Norma said, quietly, “I picked up the broken bits and laid them on the tray.”
“Call in the servant who took away that tray,” said Wise, shortly.
Old Thorpe was called in, and told his story.
“I came in for the tray,” he said, “and seein’—what I did see—I was fair knocked out. I did as usual, and picked up the tray to carry it to the kitchen. Mr. Tracy was by the tray at the time, and he was pourin’ hot water into the teacups. I don’t think the man knew what he was about,—none of us did, and small wonder!”
Thorpe knew nothing of the recent developments regarding Tracy, and Wise pursued: “Do you remember whether Mr. Tracy poured hot water over the broken cup?”