To this natural request Darrel assented at once, and narrated his Saturday night, or rather Sunday morning, adventure in Drury-lane. The detective listened in silence, his keen eyes fixed on the narrator, and when Darrel ceased he put a series of questions to him, noting the replies to the same in a little book. It may be here remarked that Mr. Torry used a cypher known to no one but himself; so, even if he lost his pocket-book, there was no chance of its contents becoming known.
"You say that this man spoke like an educated gentleman?"
"Certainly; his accent was most refined."
"At what time did he address you first?"
"Shortly after twelve o'clock."
"How long did it take you to walk to Mortality-lane?"
"Ten minutes, more or less, I should think. Altogether it was twenty minutes past midnight when he left me."
"The drive to throw you off the scent took some time, I suppose?"
Darrel calculated. "About forty minutes, more or less," he said. "We got back to Mortality-lane shortly after the clock struck one. Then I had some talk with the cabman who had misled me, according to instructions, and I remember him saying he was going home, because it was after one o'clock."
"Then the murder must have been committed between half-past twelve and one o'clock in the morning?"