One or other of these causes had kept him up, but now he collapsed.

To Tarling it was amazing that the man had maintained this show of bravado to the last, though in his heart he knew that the Crown had a very poor case against Milburgh if the charge of embezzlement and arson were proceeded with.

It was on the murder alone that a conviction could be secured; and this Milburgh evidently realised, for he made no attempt in the remarkable statement which followed to do more than hint that he had been guilty of robbing the firm.

He sat huddled up in his chair, his manacled hands clasped on the table before him, and then with a jerk sat upright.
"If you'll take off these things, gentlemen," he said, jangling the connecting chain of the handcuffs, "I will tell you something which may set your mind at rest on the question of Thornton Lyne's death." Whiteside looked at his superior questioningly, and Tarling nodded.

A few seconds later the handcuffs had been removed, and Mr.Milburgh was soothing his chafed wrists.
The psychologist who attempted to analyse the condition of mind in which Tarling found himself would be faced with a difficult task.