"Who was looking at the advertisement?"
"Doctor Roversmire, mum."
Olive gave a cry, and her face grew pale as she clasped Rudall's arm.
"I knew he had something to do with it," she said in a terrified whisper. "Go on, tell me everything from the first."
"Very well, mum," replied Dentham, and began his story without further delay.
"My name is Dentham, mum, and I am servant to Doctor Roversmire, who lives at Hampstead. I always thought him queer, as he lived such a quiet life and behaved in such a strange way. He said he had come home from India, and when he engaged me, said I was to attend to my business of looking after him and make no remarks, so as he paid me well, I didn't mind. He stayed in a great deal, sometimes going away for a few days, and the longest time he was away was six months ago, when he was away some weeks—I don't know where he was."
"I can tell you," interrupted Olive quickly, "he was here, in this house, as he was a friend of my father's."
"He never said where he was, mum, and as I had been told not to ask questions, I did not know what he was up to. When he came back he never went out for longer than a few hours, and used to send me to bed while he sat up waiting. I don't know what he waited for as no one ever came near the house, and I couldn't find out what his little game was. At last, about three weeks ago, I was on my way to bed when I heard the murmur of voices. I couldn't make it out at all, but as I couldn't go in and see and it was none of my business, I went to bed. The next morning I found my master had passed all the night in the sitting-room and was quite upset; he used to be quiet enough, but ever since that night he has been quite changed—so excited—like—I found that stick and took it to my own room."
"What right had you to do that?" asked Teddy sharply.
Dentham wriggled and looked down.