“And on the following Saturday, September 18th, when the curtains in your room were found to be on fire?”

“They were all there.”

“And during the six weeks when you had no guests there were no more occurrences of a suspicious nature?”

“Miss Silver!”

“Let us be dispassionate. There were, in fact, no more occurrences during that period. But on Saturday, October 30th, there was the incident of the chocolates. Which of these relatives was in the house on that occasion?”

Miss Treherne repeated the phrase which she had already used twice, but in a tone that was almost inaudible.

“They were all there.”

Miss Silver remarked, “Dear me!” turned a page, wrote a heading, and said in a bright, matter-of-fact tone, “Now if you will give me a little information about each of these relatives-just the merest outline, comprising age, occupation, financial position-”

“Miss Silver-I can’t!”

Miss Silver looked at her kindly but firmly.

“Indeed you can, my dear Miss Treherne. It is best for us to speak quite plainly. As matters stand, you are in continual fear of being obliged to suspect one or another of your relations. The situation is quite impossible, and it must be cleared up. If you withold information, I cannot help you. Let us continue. We will begin with your sister Mabel, Mrs. Wadlow.”

Chapter Four

Miss Silver’s notes:

“Mabel Wadlow:-Age 44. Nervous semi-invalid. Reads a great many novels-thrillers. Very fond of husband and children. Some sense of injury over father’s will.

Ernest Wadlow:-Age 52. Dilettante. Traveler. Writer. Never made much money by his books. Wife’s money not much in evidence. Miss Treherne obviously assists them.

Maurice Wadlow:-Age 23. Reading for the Bar. Socialistically inclined. Perhaps dearer to his parents than to Miss T. Anxiety on her part to be fair to him very marked. Probably clever, bumptious young man, too pleased with himself to please others. This merely conjecture.