Philip grasped her shoulder. He said, and his voice was urgent and grim:

«This settles it. Armstrong is in hiding somewhere in that house. I’m going to get him.»

But Vera clung to him. She cried:

«Don’t be a fool. It’s us now! We’re next! He wants us to look for him! He’s counting on it!»

Philip stopped. He said thoughtfully:

«There’s something in that.»

Vera cried:

«At any rate, you do admit now I was right.»

He nodded.

«Yes – you win! It’s Armstrong all right. But where the devil did he hide himself? We went over the place with a fine-tooth comb.»

Vera said urgently: «If you didn’t find him last night, you won’t find him now… That’s common-sense.»

Lombard said reluctantly:

«Yes, but —»

«He must have prepared a secret place beforehand – naturally – of course it’s just what he would do. You know, like a Priest’s Hole in old manor houses.»

«This isn’t an old house of that kind.»

«He could have had one made.»

Philip Lombard shook his head.

He said: «We measured the place – that first morning. I’ll swear there’s no space unaccounted for.»

Vera said: «There must be…»

Lombard said: «I’d like to see —»

Vera cried: «Yes, you’d like to see! And he knows that! He’s in there – waiting for you.»

Lombard said, half bringing out the revolver from his pocket: «I’ve got this, you know.»

«You said Blore was all right – that he was more than a match for Armstrong. So he was physically, and he was on the lookout too. But what you don’t seem to realize is that Armstrong is mad! And a madman has all the advantages on his side. He’s twice as cunning as any one sane can be.»

Lombard put back the revolver in his pocket. He said:

«Come on, then.»