He believes that some one who wished to get him into trouble personated him." "Has he any suspicions as to whom the person may be ?" "He says not, and I believe him; for if he did suspect any particular individual he certainly would gain nothing by concealment of the fact." "H'm!" said Diana thoughtfully, "so that denial of the saleswoman disposes of the cloak's evidence.

What about the Count's presence in Jersey Street on Christmas Eve ?" "He was not there!" "But Rhoda, the servant, saw him both in the house and in the back yard!" "She saw a dark man, with a moustache, but she could not say that he was a foreigner.

She does not know Ferruci, remember.

The man she saw must have been the same as the purchaser of the cloak." "Where does Ferruci say he was ?" "At Hampstead, visiting a friend." "Oh! And what does the friend say ?" "He declares that the Count was with him on Christmas Eve and stayed all night." "That is very convenient evidence for the Count, Mr.Denzil.Who is this accommodating friend ?" "A doctor called Jorce." "Can his word be trusted ?" "So far as I can judge from his looks and a short acquaintance, I should say so." "It was half-past eight when the servant saw the dark man run out of the yard ?" "Yes!" "And at half-past eight Ferruci was at Hampstead in the house of Dr.
Jorce ?" "Not that I know of," said Lucian, remembering that he had asked Jorce the question rather generally than particularly, "but the doctor declared that Ferruci was with him at ten o'clock on that evening, and did not leave him until next morning; so as your father was killed between eleven and twelve, Ferruci must be innocent." "It would seem so, if this doctor is to be believed," muttered Diana reflectively, "but judging by what you have told me, there is nothing to show that Ferruci was _not_ in Pimlico at eight-thirty, and was _not_ the man whom the servant saw." "Well, certainly he could get from Pimlico to Hampstead in an hour and a half.

However, the main point about all this evidence is, that neither Ferruci nor Lydia Vrain killed your father." "No! no! that seems clear.