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se her lodger who yet desires to be aroused; she becomes alarmed, she rushes across to get my assistance; I burst open the door--what do you think the good lady expected to see?"
"Mr. Constant murdered, I suppose," murmured the Home Secretary, wonderingly.
"Exactly. And so she saw it. And what should you think was the condition of Arthur Constant when the door yielded to my violent exertions and flew open?"
"Why, was he not dead?" gasped the Home Secretary, his heart fluttering violently.
"Dead? A young, healthy fellow like that! When the door flew open, Arthur Constant was sleeping the sleep of the just. It was a deep, a very deep sleep, of course, else the blows at his door would long since have awakened him. But all the while Mrs. Drabdump's fancy was picturing her lodger cold and stark, the poor young fellow was lying in bed in a nice warm sleep."
"You mean to say you found Arthur Constant alive?"
"As you were last night."
The Minister was silent, striving confusedly to take in the situation. Outside the crowd was cheering again. It was probably to pass the time.
"Then, when was he murdered?"
"Immediately afterwards."
"By whom?"
"Well, that is, if you will pardon me, not a very intelligent question. Science and common-sense are in accord for once. Try the method of exhaustion. It must have been either by Mrs. Drabdump or myself."
"You mean to say that Mrs. Drabdump--!"
"Poor dear Mrs. Drabdump, you don't deserve this of your Home Secretary! The idea of that good lady!"
"It was you!"
"Calm yourself, my dear Home Secretary. There is nothing to be alarmed at. It was a solitary experiment, and I intend it to remain so." The noise without grew louder. "Three cheers for Grodman! Hip, hip, hip, hooray," fell faintly on their ears.
But the Minister, pallid and deeply moved, touched the bell. The Home Secretary's home secretary appeared. He looked at the great man's agitated face with suppressed sur