"No! No! No! Of course I don't," answered Vernon hastily and leading cautiously up to the purpose of his visit; "but he was in the house when the murder took place and might have seen some stranger present who would be The Spider."
"I don't think so, and I don't see how he could, seeing that everyone was masked. If he had seen any suspicious character I certainly should have known of it at once."
"Why you, rather than anyone else?" asked Vernon quickly.
"Well, you see, Ida was in one of her freakish moods on the night of the ball and gave Mr. Maunders the cold shoulder, consoling herself with the Colonel all the evening."
"I did so because papa did not wish me to pass my time with Constantine."
"I daresay, Ida," responded Miss Hest rather acidly, "but you asked him to the ball notwithstanding your father objected. At all events, Mr. Vernon, as Mr. Maunders was cold-shouldered he came to me and I had the burden of him from ten o'clock up to the time Ida discovered the murder, at a quarter to midnight. Mr. Maunders never left me alone all that time, so if he had seen anyone suspicious he would have told me."
"Quite so, quite so," murmured Vernon absently and thinking that here was a very good _alibi_ for Maunders, and the stronger since it was given unconsciously by one who did not know the reason for putting it forward. "I daresay The Spider came in by the window," he remarked in louder tones.
Miss Hest made a significant gesture. "I don't know how he came or how he went," she said, nodding towards Ida, who had grown pale, "and the police seem to be able to discover nothing. But you might see Mr. Maunders and learn if he had any suspicions that a stranger was present."
"That would be useless in the face of what you tell me. He would have spoken to you had he been doubtful," said Vernon courteously, "and----"
"There, there! Don't say anything more. Don't you see that Ida is on the verge of fainting?"