Mrs.Ireland, after a twenty-four hours' untiring watch beside her husband's sick bed, had at last been approached by the detective, and been asked to reply to a few simple questions, and thus help to throw some light on the mystery which had caused Mr.Ireland's illness and her own consequent anxiety.
"She professed herself quite ready to reply to any questions put to her, and she literally astounded both inspector and detective when she firmly and emphatically declared that James Fairbairn must have been dreaming or asleep when he thought he saw her in the doorway at ten o'clock that night, and fancied he heard her voice.
"She may or may not have been down in the hall at that particular hour, for she usually ran down herself to see if the last post had brought any letters, but most certainly she had neither seen nor spoken to Mr.
Ireland at that hour, for Mr.Ireland had gone out an hour before, she herself having seen him to the front door.

Never for a moment did she swerve from this extraordinary statement.

She spoke to James Fairbairn in the presence of the detective, and told him he _must_ absolutely have been mistaken, that she had _not_ seen Mr.Ireland, and that she had _not_ spoken to him.
"One other person was questioned by the police, and that was Mr.Robert Ireland, the manager's eldest son.

It was presumed that he would know something of his father's affairs; the idea having now taken firm hold of the detective's mind that perhaps grave financial difficulties had tempted the unfortunate manager to appropriate some of the firm's money.
"Mr.Robert Ireland, however, could not say very much.

His father did not confide in him to the extent of telling him all his private affairs, but money never seemed scarce at home certainly, and Mr.Ireland had, to his son's knowledge, not a single extravagant habit.