“I see. There was nothing remarkable. Do you know if any one saw him after you?”
“Yes, sir. At about a quarter to eleven Mr. George Brooklyn called and asked for Mr. Prinsep. I told him I thought Mr. Prinsep was in, and he said he would find his own way up.”
“And do you know when Mr. George Brooklyn came out?”
“Yes, I happened to catch sight of him crossing the hall to the front door about three-quarters of an hour later—somewhere about half-past eleven. We were in the dining-room clearing up, and several of us saw him go out.”
“You say ‘clearing up.’ Had there been some entertainment in the house last night?”
“Yes, sir. It was Sir Vernon Brooklyn’s family party. His seventieth birthday, sir. Besides those in the house there were Mr. and Mrs. George, Mr. Carter Woodman, sir—the solicitor, who is also Sir Vernon’s cousin—and his wife, and Mr. Lucas—and, yes, Mr. Ellery.”
“When did they leave?”
“They all left a minute or two after ten o’clock. Mr. and Mrs. George and the Woodmans are staying at the Cunningham, sir, and they walked. Mr. Lucas—the playwriter, sir—he went off in his car to Hampstead, and Mr. Ellery, he walked off in a great hurry.”
“So far as you know, no one besides Mr. George Brooklyn saw Mr. Prinsep after 10.15.”
“No. Of course, Miss Joan or Miss Woodman or Sir Vernon may have seen him without my knowing.”