“You wrong Mr. Collins, he only told me when we had got at cross-purposes. When he told me there might be suspicion on someone dear to me I thought he meant Ronald. He treated you most generously all through,” she said, coldly.
“We are rather wandering from the main story,” said Allery, to pour oil on the water. “Let’s hear the rest, Watson.”
“There is little more to tell. We decided that I must get out of the house, and I thought of the old tower. Allery here had arranged for a motor boat to take me to Bristol, and I was going on board a tramp bound for Rio. I was going to answer the advertisement from there and return. To-morrow I should have been off, but our friend here,” he pointed to Collins, “seems to have been one too much for us, and came in the nick of time.”
Collins gave a laugh. “I see you all want to know my part in the matter. I am afraid there is no mystery about it, and no great skill. I will confess that when I found the visiting card on the floor I thought it was a possible clue, and worth following up. But when I became acquainted with Sanders I realised that it was a mere coincidence.” He bowed slightly to Sanders with a politeness which was almost a mockery, and Sanders looked hatred at him. Every word was putting him in a position of humiliation and Collins as the hero of the piece, and it was gall to him.
Collins continued.
“The first thing which put me on the track was the fact that no news had been heard of Lewis. I was certain that he had nothing to do with the crime, and yet he had disappeared. His confusion when asked to go to Leveson Square was taken to be a sign of guilt, but if there was no guilt there must be another explanation. He had not fled instantly. He had gone back to his lodgings, and paid his bill, and then gone. There was, therefore, I argued, another reason for going. It must be connected in some way with Sir James, especially when he had said that he was going there on that afternoon. There was a hue and cry out for him, and he had not come forward to clear himself. Then he must have a reason beyond the mere shrinking from publicity.
“Then it is difficult for a man without friends, as he appeared to be, to disappear entirely, as he seemed to have done.
“If it was anything to do with Sir James, there might conceivably be a clue at this house. On the first night I was here as the sun was setting a ray shone on that portrait of Sir James, and I saw Lewis looking at me.”
“What do you mean?” said Mabel, startled.
“I mean the likeness was unmistakable. The light was peculiar, and the eyes, nose and forehead were all that showed up, and there was the striking family likeness.”