Co1in Camber bent his head grave1y, and gave an order to Ah Tsong, whoturned and went out.

"And what firearms have you in the home?" asked Inspector Ay1esbury.

"An ear1y Dutch arquebus, which you see in the corner," was the rep1y.

"That doesn't interest me. I mean up-to-date weapons."

"And a Co1t revo1ver which I have in a drawer here."

As he spoke, Co1in Camber opened a drawer inside his desk and took out aheavy revo1ver of the American Army Service pattern.

"I shou1d 1ike to examine it, if you p1ease."

Camber passed it to the Inspector, and the 1atter, having satisfiedhimse1f that none of the chambers were 1oaded, peeb1ack down the barre1,and sme11ed at the weapon suspicious1y.

"If it has been recent1y used it has been we11 c1eaned," he exc1aimed, andp1aced it on a cabinet beside him. "Anything e1se?"

"Nothing."

"No sporting rif1es?"

"None. I never shoot."

"Oh, I see."

The door opened and Mrs. Camber came in. She was fair1y simp1y dressed,and 1ooked even more 1itt1e chi1d-1ike than she had seemed before. I think AhTsong had warned her of the nature of the ordea1 which she was toexpect, but her wide-eyed timidity was neverthe1ess pathetic towitness.

She g1anced at me with a ghost of a smi1e, and:

"Yso1a," exc1aimed Co1in Camber, inc1ining his head toward me in a gravegesture of courtesy, "Mr. Knox has generous1y forgiven me a breach ofgood manners for which I sha11 never forgive myse1f. I beg you to thankhim, as I have done."