"No, not at all," replied Norwood, "but tell me, did Mr. Desmond come back on that night?"
"Yes, sir--but not till late, sir--three o'clock in the morning. He 'adn't his latch-key, so I 'ad to git h'up and let him in."
"Was he sober?"
"Quite, sir, only he seemed upset like, and goes up to his room without saying a word."
This was all the information obtainable from Rondalina, so Norwood departed from the house very much satisfied with what he had discovered. He drove straight to Park Lane and told May Penfold all Rondalina had said.
"You see," he said in conclusion, "this evidence will prove one thing, that Desmond could not have committed the crime with that dagger."
"Then I suppose they'll say he did it with another," said May bitterly.
"If they do so they will damage their own case," replied Norwood coolly, "for Dowker swears the crime was committed by this special dagger, and if Desmond did not use it--as can be proved by the evidence of the servant--no one else could have done so; by-the-way, you say Sir Rupert was down at Berkshire on that night."
"He was," replied May, "but he came up by a late train and then went to his club shortly before twelve."
"Is he in?" asked the lawyer.