“Of course, it was perfectly plain that she was trying to get rid of me.  Well, I had no objection.  That pistol had scared me badly.  I didn’t want to be mixed up in a scandal.

“So I took my hat and cleared out.  But once on the street, my courage came back, and also my curiosity.  I wanted to know more of that strange woman.

“I bought the theater tickets and hurried back.  I opened the door of room B.

“You know what I saw.  She sat there dead, with the pistol by her side.  She had committed suicide.

“I rushed out with the intention of calling for help, but fear overcame me.  I looked around into the hall.  This man Gaspard was at the desk.

“I dared not summon him.  I turned and ran.”

Hammond ceased, and a sigh ran around the room.  Nick could read relief in all the faces.  The mystery was solved.  The innocent man was no longer to suffer under unjust suspicion.

That was what could be seen in the faces.  Hammond’s words had the ring of truth.  Neither the superintendent nor Nick nor any other person there doubted a single statement of his story.

“When Gaspard identified me as the man in room A,” Hammond continued, “I thought I saw a chance to save Mr. Jones very easily, and so I told a falsehood.”

“It was a foolish thing to do,” said Nick.  “The truth is always best.  If we had known at the outset what we know now, Mr. Jones might have been spared a great deal of trouble.  Since the woman committed suicide—­”

“Hold on!” cried the superintendent.  “How do you account for the murder of Corbut?”

“He must have found the body and robbed it.  Probably he took some money and a diamond ring.  There was the mark of a ring on her finger, but the ring was gone.

“Corbut fled with these things.  He engaged Harrigan’s cab.  He was decoyed to that flat by some woman, probably, who knew that nobody was in it, and was there murdered.

“Of course, neither Mr. nor Mrs. Jones had anything to do with it.  Now, if Mr. Jones would only explain how he happened to be at that restaurant, the case would be clear.  We know positively that he was there.”

A great light of hope had shone in Jones’ face while Hammond was telling his story, and when Nick added his explanation of Corbut’s death, the prisoner nearly laughed for joy.

“It’s true I was there,” he said.  “My wife and I dined in room A, and—­”

“Fool!” exclaimed the woman, in a terrible voice.  “Don’t you see that this is a trap?”

In her wild excitement, she covered Jones’ mouth with her hand to prevent his speaking further.

“That is true,” said Nick.  “It was a trap, and the wretch has fallen into it.  Jones, you have put the halter around your neck.”

“No!  It is a lie!” exclaimed Jones, freeing himself from the woman’s grasp.  “I tell you that I was in room A. The crime, if there was a crime, was committed in room B.”