`Still,' said Dr Fell, musingly, `you could not swear the voice came from that room?'
`No. But’
`And there is not one word you can definitely remember its having said?'
'I'm afraid not.'
Dr Fell drew back his chins and pushed out his chest in a meditative fashion.
`Now, I've heard you out, Arbor, and I've got a few words to say. We're all alone here. Nobody has heard your story; but Sergeant Rampole and myself. We can forget it, that's our business when no crime has been done; but I shouldn't advise you to repeat it to anybody else. You would be in grave danger of being confined either in gaol or in a lunatic asylum…. Do you realize what you've said, he inquired, slowly lifting-his cane to point. `There were four people in that room. You must, therefore, accuse the voice as being either the chief inspector of the C. I: D., one of his highest and most trusted officers, or the deputy governor of the Tower of London. If you retract that statement, and decide that the voice actually was Driscoll, you lay yourself open to grave trouble in connexion with a murder case. Your status is that of madman or suspected criminal. Do you want to take your choice?'
`But I'm telling you the truth, I swear, before…!'
`Man,' said Dr Fell, with a thunder of earnestness in his voice, `I have no doubt you think you're telling the truth.. You heard a voice. The question is, what voice, and where did it come from?'
`All right,' Arbor said, despondently. `But what am I going to do? I wish I'd never heard of Poe or manuscripts or any … besides, I'm in potential danger of my life… What the devil are you laughing at Inspector?'
`I was merely smiling,' said Dr Fell, 'at your fears for your own skin. If that's all you're worrying about, you can stop. We have the murderer, safely. The "voice" can't hurt you, I guarantee that. And you don't want to be tangled up in this affair any farther, do you?'