Before Jen had time to inquire the meaning of David's strange , the young man had turned on his heel and was walking rapidly back to the house. Surprised by this behavior, and suspicious of its reason, the major called out to him to stop; but without taking any notice the young man increased his pace, and was soon lost to sight. Still marveling, Jen went after him, and on entering the library found that only Arkel was present.  
"Where is Dr. Etwald?" demanded the major, anxiously.
 
"He went upstairs a few minutes ago to see your servant," replied the , rising.
 
"Alone, Mr. Arkel?"
 
"Why no, major. Mr. Sarby was with him."
 
Jen started. Evidently David had returned before him in order to see Etwald, and to gain private speech with the doctor, had conducted him to Jaggard's sick-room. For the moment Jen--still suspicious of Sarby's behavior--had it in his mind to follow; but a few minutes of reflection convinced him that this was unnecessary. David did not know all the conversation which had taken place between himself and Isabella, therefore he could inform Etwald of nothing new. But, indeed, the major wondered why David wished to speak with the doctor. It looked, to his mind, as though the two men were in league.
 
"I'll find out what it all means after I have had speech with Arkel," said Jen to himself. "The doctor cannot escape me, and if David has an understanding with him, I'll force them both to confess. There can be no harm in leaving them together for a few minutes."
 
In this Jen was wrong, but, as he was only an amateur detective, he cannot be blamed very for his at this particular moment. He acted--as he thought--for the best, and therefore hastened to explain to Arkel the position of affairs before the return of Dr. Etwald. , when the matter of the and arrest were settled, he intended to have speech with David, and insist upon an explanation of the young man's mysterious behavior. Thus did the situation present itself to his inexperienced eyes.
 
"Well, never mind Dr. Etwald just now," he said aloud, pointing to a chair. "He has his duties to perform, and I have mine. Sit down, Mr. Arkel. I suppose you wonder why I have sent for you?"
 
"Well; no, major. I presume it is in connection with the case."
 
"You are right. I wish to know if you have discovered anything new."
 
"Yes. Your messenger, Battersea, was wandering about your grounds on that night."
 
"Battersea!" cried Jen, thunderstruck. "Did he see the body carried off?"
 
"He did not see it taken out of the house," explained Arkel, referring to some notes which he held in his hand, "but he saw it put into the carriage."
 
"A carriage?"
 
"Yes, which was waiting in the lane at the foot of your grounds. Two people carried the body between them--a man and a woman--but Battersea cannot give me their names."
 
"I can, however," said Jen, grimly. "Oh, it is just as I thought."
 
"What are the names, major?" asked Arkel, anxiously.
 
"I'll give you the names later on, Mr. Inspector. In the meantime, be good enough to conclude your report of Battersea's . It interests me deeply."
 
"I thought it would," replied Arkel, with a look of satisfaction. "Well, Battersea wondered at the body being put into the carriage--"
 
"Did he know that it was Alymer's ?" interrupted Jen, sharply.
 
"He guessed as much from the circumstance that the body was carried through your grounds to the lane where the carriage was waiting. You know, major, that this tramp is rather stupid, and it is not an easy thing for him to put two and two together."
 
"On this occasion, however, he discovered that they made four," replied the major, dryly. "Well, the man and the woman put the body into the carriage--a closed carriage, I suppose?"
 
"Yes," Arkel, with a nod, "a brougham."
 
"A doctor's brougham?"
 
"What," cried the inspector, with a look of surprise, "has the scamp told you?"
 
"He has told me nothing. Please go on."
 
"Well," said Arkel, making his invariable beginning, "when the body was placed in the carriage and the door closed, the woman went away."
 
"In what direction?"
 
"She returned through your grounds, but where she went Battersea does not know."
 
"I do, however," muttered Jen, divining that Dido had taken the usual route back to "The Wigwam."
 
"And the man?"
 
"He mounted the carriage-box and drove off. It appears that there was no coachman."
 
"I don't wonder at that," rejoined the major. "This precious pair were afraid to trust their infernal secret to a third party. No doubt the horse, being quiet, was left to stand in the deep shadow of the lane, while the robbers stole the corpse. However, I understand. The woman went away, the man mounted the box, and I suppose, drove off with the corpse."
 
"Also with Battersea," added Arkel, with a significant smile. "It seems that the tramp wished to see the end of this singular adventure, or, no doubt, he wished to make money out of it."
 
"By ? I see. I suppose he hung on behind."
 
"Yes; like a street arab. He was one, once, you know, major, and has not forgotten his early habits. Well, he was driven with the carriage to Deanminster."
 
"Quite so, and into that gloomy courtyard which surrounds the house of Dr. Etwald," added Major Jen, with a satisfied smile, "Battersea saw the doctor take the body out of the carriage and carry it into the house. Then, on his return--Etwald's I mean--he unharnessed the horse and put it into the stable; also the carriage into the coach-house. Is that not so, Mr. Arkel?"
 
"Battersea told you," Arkel, amazed at his insight.
 
"I assure you he told me nothing. But I am as clever as Battersea, and can put two and two together. Next day Battersea went to Etwald, did he not, and tried to him, but this clever doctor compelled him to keep silent."
 
"It's all quite true," assented the inspector, thunderstruck; "though how you guessed it all I cannot say. But, as you know so much, perhaps you can tell me one thing more, which bothers me not a little. How did Dr. Etwald compel Battersea to keep silence?"
 
"Very easily," said Jen, with a . "Battersea is half negro. The black race adore the Voodoo stone, of which Dr. Etwald is the possessor. Etwald simply threatened Battersea with the of the Voodoo stone if he . Therefore, he held his tongue, and was forced to confess all this only by your threatening to ............