Paul Benedict had no relatives or friends that he knew of.

All his dealings with him had been without witnesses.

The only person living besides Robert Belcher, who knew exactly what had passed between his victim and himself, was hopelessly insane.

The difference, to him, between obtaining possession of a valuable invention of a sane or an insane man, was the difference between paying money and paying none.

In what way, and with what profit, Mr.Belcher was availing himself of Paul Benedict's last invention, no one in Sevenoaks knew; but all the town knew that he was getting rich, apparently much faster than he ever was before, and that, in a distant town, there was a manufactory of what was known as "The Belcher Rifle." Mr.Belcher concluded that he was still "master of the situation." Benedict's testimony could not be taken in a court of justice.