And so he made a clean breast of all he had done in the way of investigation, leaving his motive completely aside.
"You've got a theory, of course ?" observed Harker, after listening quietly to all that Bryce could tell.

"Naturally, you have! You couldn't accumulate all that without getting one." "Well," admitted Bryce, "honestly, I can't say that I have.

But I can see what theory there might be.

This--that Ransford was the man who deceived Brake, that he ran away with Brake's wife, that she's dead, and that he's brought up the children in ignorance of all that--and therefore--" "And therefore," interrupted Harker with a smile, "that when he and Brake met--as you seem to think they did--Ransford flung Brake through that open doorway; that Collishaw witnessed it, that Ransford's found out about Collishaw, and that Collishaw has been poisoned by Ransford.
Eh ?" "That's a theory that seems to be supported by facts," said Bryce.
"It's a theory that would doubtless suit men like Mitchington," said the old detective, with another smile.

"But--not me, sir! Mind you, I don't say there isn't something in it--there's doubtless a lot.