"What's this about Henry's escape?" he asked.
"Why,--Henry has got away, hasn't he?" Watson answered evasively.
"It seems so. One of your men woke me up an hour ago to see if Henry were in the house, and when we went to his room we found Mason sleeping across the door, but Henry's window was open and he was gone. How did you happen to send to inquire?"
"Selby has been killed," said Watson.
The doctor drew a quick breath, but said nothing. The silence in the room was so keen that the scratching of Ralston's pencil (he was scribbling like mad at the edge of the table) was like an affront. Burton moved restlessly over to the open window and looked down the way by which Ben had climbed up.
Watson cleared his throat.
"Of course he'll have a chance to explain things," he said, with laborious carelessness.
A sharp exclamation came from Burton, who was leaning out of the window.
"Watson! Look here!"
Watson was getting nervous. He jumped to Burton's side as though he expected an attack from the open window.