'Dr. Symonds came over to the girl.

''We must get her to the house,' he said. 'Rogers, will you help?'

'Between us we carried the unconscious girl back to the house. Then we returned and fetched the body of Sir Richard.

Dr. Pender broke off apologetically and looked round. 'One would know better nowadays,' he said, 'owing to the prevalence of detective fiction. Every street boy knows that a body must be left where it is found. But in these days we had not the same knowledge, and accordingly we carried the body of Richard Haydon back to his bedroom in the square granite house and the butler was dispatched on a bicycle in search of the police - a ride of some twelve miles.

'It was then that Elliot Haydon drew me aside.

''Look here,' he said. 'I am going back to the grove. That weapon has got to be found.'

''If there was a weapon,' I said doubtfully.

'He seized my arm and shook it fiercely. 'You have got that superstitious stuff into your head. You think his death was supernatural; well, I am going back to the grove to find out.'

'I was curiously averse to his doing so. I did my utmost to dissuade him, but without result. The mere idea of that thick circle of trees was abhorrent to me and I felt a strong premonition of further disaster. But Elliot was entirely pigheaded. He was, I think, scared himself, but would not admit it. He went off fully armed with determination to get to the bottom of the mystery.

'It was a very dreadful night, none of us could sleep, or attempt to do so. The police, when they arrived, were frankly incredulous of the whole thing. They evinced a strong desire to cross-examine Miss Ashley, but there they had to reckon with Dr. Symonds, who opposed the idea vehemently. Miss Ashley had come out of her faint or trance and he had given her a strong sleeping draught. She was on no account to be disturbed until the following day.