“Did he crush her on purpose, do you think?”

“No,” said Darby after a pause, “I don’t think so.  Miss Greeby was rich, and if the pair of them had escaped Silver would have been able to extort money.  He no more killed her than he killed himself by dashing into that chalk pit near the road.  It was mismanagement of the motor in both cases.”

Lambert was quiet for a time.  “Is that all?” he asked, looking up.

“All, my lord,” answered the inspector, gathering his papers together.

“Is anything else likely to appear in the papers?”

“No, my lord.”

“I noted,” said Lambert slowly, “that there was no mention of the forged letter made at the inquest.”

Darby nodded.  “I arranged that, my lord, since the forged letter made so free with your lordship’s name and that of the present Lady Garvington.  As you probably saw, it was only stated that the late Sir Hubert had gone to meet his secretary at The Manor and that Miss Greeby, knowing of his coming, had shot him.  The motive was ascribed as anger at the late Sir Hubert for having lost a great sum of money which Miss Greeby entrusted to him for the purpose of speculation.”

“And is it true that such money was entrusted and lost?”

“Perfectly true, my lord.  I saw in that fact a chance of hiding the real truth.  It would do no good to make the forged letter public and would cast discredit both on the dead and the living.  Therefore all that has been said does not even hint at the trap laid by Silver.  Now that all parties concerned are dead and buried, no more will be heard of the matter, and your lordship can sleep in peace.”

The young man walked up and down the room for a few minutes while the inspector made ready to depart.  Noel was deeply touched by the man’s consideration and made up his mind that he should not lose by the delicacy he had shown in preserving his name and that of Agnes from the tongue of gossips.  He saw plainly that Darby was a man he could thoroughly trust and forthwith did so.

“Mr. Inspector,” he said, coming forward to shake hands, “you have acted in a most kind and generous manner and I cannot show my appreciation of your behavior more than by telling you the exact truth of this sad affair.”

“I know the truth,” said Darby staring.

“Not the exact truth, which closely concerns the honor of my family.  But as you have saved that by suppressing certain evidence it is only right that you should know more than you do know.”

“I shall keep quiet anything that you tell me, my lord,” said Darby greatly pleased; “that is, anything that is consistent with my official duty.”

“Of course.  Also I wish you to know exactly how matters stand, since there may be trouble with Chaldea.”

“Oh, I don’t think so, my lord.  Chaldea has married that dwarf.”

“Kara, the Servian gypsy?”

“Yes.  She’s given him a bad time, and he put up with it because he had no authority over her; but now that she’s his romi—­as these people call a wife—­he’ll make her dance to his playing.  They left England yesterday for foreign parts—­Hungary, I fancy, my lord.  The girl won’t come back in a hurry, for Kara will keep an eye on her.”