He convinced himself, in the first place, that it was possible for the girl to have left her room and! returned to it on the night of her father's death without any of the inmates of the hotel being aware of her absence.

That lessened the complexity of the case by absolving Mrs.Pendleton from the suspicion of pretended ignorance.

Barrant was also convinced the aunt believed her niece to be in bed and asleep during the time of her own visit to her brother's house.

Sisily had to pass the office of the hotel in going out and returning, but she could easily have done so unobserved.

There were few guests at that season of the year, and the proprietor's daughter, who looked after the office, was in the dining-room having her dinner at half-past seven.