She, in her despair, would take no note of time, nor would Mr.Travis, reeling in the opposite gallery under the shock of seeing all that he loved taken from him in one awful minute." Here the detective turned with great earnestness toward the two officials.
"This question of time has been, as I have repeatedly said, the greatest stumbling-block we have encountered in our consideration of this crime.
How could the assassin, by any means possible, have got so far away from the pedestal, in the infinitesimal lapse of time between the cry that was heard and the quick alarm which followed.

Now we know.

Have you anything to say against this conclusion?
Any other explanation to give which will account for every fact as this does ?" His answer came in a dubious gesture from the District Attorney and a half-hearted "No" from his Assistant.

They were both either too awed by the circumstance or too fearful of mistake, to accept without a struggle an accusation of this grave and momentous character against one of Mr.
Roberts' stamp and consequence.
This was no more than Mr.Gryce had expected, and while he realized that his reputation as a detective of extraordinary insight in cases of an unusually baffling nature trembled in the balance, he experienced a sudden distaste of his work which almost drove him into renouncing the whole affair.

But the habits of a lifetime are not parted with so easily; and when the Chief Inspector observed--evidently with the idea of goading him on--"This seems to be mainly a matter of conjecture, Gryce," his old self reasserted itself, and he answered boldly: "I acknowledge that; but conjecture is what in nine cases out of ten smoothes out many of our difficulties.