"
"The clean-shaven man," answered Viner.
"Whom Mr. Viner knows for a fact," continued Mr. Pawle, "to have been in
Ashton's company only an hour or so before Ashton's murder!"
Lord Ellingham looked at Viner in obvious surprise.
"But you do not know who he is?" he exclaimed.
"No," replied Viner, "I don't. But there is no doubt of the truth of what
Mr. Pawle has just said. This man was certainly with Mr. Ashton at a
tavern in Notting Hill from about nine-thirty to ten-thirty on the
evening of Ashton's death. In fact, they left the tavern together."
The young nobleman suddenly pulled open a drawer in his desk, produced a
box of cigarettes and silently offered it to his visitors. He lighted a
cigarette himself, and for a moment smoked in silence--it seemed to Viner
that his youthful face had grown unusually grave and thoughtful.
"Mr. Pawle," he said at last, "I'm immensely surprised by what you've
told me, and all the more so because this is the second surprise I've had
this afternoon. I may as well tell you that the two gentlemen whom you
saw going away just now brought me some very astonishing news--yours
comes right on top of it! And, if you please, I'd rather not say any
more about it, just now, but I'm going to make a proposal to you.
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