"I'll mind on it, no fears, Mr. Cromarty!"
Ned left him with an expression on his countenance which indicated that the deductive process had already been resumed.
Till he arrived at his own door, the laird of Stanesland was unconscious of a single incident of his drive home. All the way his eye stared straight into space. Sometimes a gleam would light it for an instant, and then he would shake his head and the gleam would fade away.
"I can see neither a damned head nor a damned tail to it!" he said to himself as he alighted.
XIV
THE QUESTION OF MOTIVE
Two days later Mr. Ison entered Mr. Simon Rattar's room and informed him that Mr. Cromarty of Stanesland wished to see him on particular business. The lawyer was busy and this interruption seemed for the moment distinctly unwelcome. Then he grunted: