That is a matter which concerns, me alone." "Very well! As it happens I do not base my charge on the letter; I had already formed my opinion before I knew of its existence.

Do you deny that you yourself have encouraged the belief in the ghost among the negroes?
That on more than one occasion, you, or your accomplice, Cat-Eye Mose, have masqueraded as the ghost?
That, while you were pretending to Colonel Gaylord to be as much puzzled by the matter as he, you were in truth at the bottom of the whole business ?" Radnor glanced uneasily at me and hesitated before replying.
"No," he said at length, "I don't deny that, but I do affirm that it has nothing to do with the robbery." The detective laughed.
"You must excuse me, Mr.Gaylord, if I stick to the opinion that I have solved the puzzle." He turned with a motion toward the house, and Radnor barred the entrance.
"Do you think I lie when I say I know nothing of those bonds ?" "Yes, Mr.Gaylord, I do." For a moment I thought that Radnor was going to strike him, but I pulled him back and turned to Clancy.
"He knows nothing about the bonds," said I, "but nevertheless you must not take any such story to Colonel Gaylord.

He is an old man, and while he would not believe his son guilty of theft, still it would worry him.
There is something else that happened that night--entirely uncriminal--but which we do not wish him to hear about.

Therefore I am not going to let you go to him with this nonsensical tale that you have cooked up." This was a trial shot on my part but it hit the bull's-eye.

Radnor stared but said nothing; and the detective visibly wavered.
"Now," I added, taking out my checkbook, "suppose I pay you what you would have received had you discovered the bonds, and dispense with your further services ?" "That's just as you say.