She wasn't out more nor ten minutes, or a quarter of an hour." Mr.Flexen was silent in frowning thought; then he looked earnestly at William Roper for a good minute; then he said: "Well, this may be important, or it may not.

But it is very important that you should keep it to yourself." He looked hard again at William, decided that an appeal to his vanity would be best, and added: "You're pretty shrewd, I fancy, and you can see that it is most important not to put the criminal on his guard--if it was a crime." "I suppose I shall 'ave to tell what I know at the inquest ?" said William Roper, with an air of importance.
Mr.Flexen gazed at him thoughtfully, weighing the matter.

Here were a number of facts which might or might not have an important bearing on the murder, but which would give rise to a great deal of painful and harmful scandal if they were given to the world at this juncture.
Besides the publication of them might force his hand, and he preferred to have a free hand in this matter as he had been used to have a free hand in India.

There he had dealt with more than one case in such a manner as to secure substantial justice rather than the exact execution of the law.
It might be that in this case justice would be best secured by leaving the murderer to his, or her, conscience rather than by causing several people great unhappiness by bringing about a conviction.

He was inclined to think, with Mr.Manley, that the murderer might have performed a public service by removing Lord Loudwater from the world he had so ill adorned.