"It's wonderful how you have worked it out," said Roger, with hearty admiration; "but how do you connect me with the murder?"
"I did not say I connected you with the murder," replied Fanks, hastily; "I only said there were suspicious circumstances against you. For instance, you had morphia pills in your possession."
"How do you know that?" asked Roger, with a start of surprise.
"Yes, and Japix prescribed them," cried Axton, starting to his feet. "I own that does look suspicious; but I can set your mind at rest on that point. Will you permit me to withdraw for a moment?"
"Don't talk nonsense, Roger," said Fanks, angrily; "of course I will."
Axton said nothing, but left the room, leaving Fanks considerably puzzled as to the cause of his departure. In a few minutes, however, he returned and placed in the detective's hands a box of pills.
"There," he said, resuming his seat, "if you count those pills you will find there are eleven. The original number was twelve; I only took one, and finding it did me no good, left the rest in the box. Am I correct?"
"You are," replied Fanks, who had counted the pills; "there are eleven here."
"If you have any further doubts, you can ask Wosk & Co., who made up the pills."
"But I would prefer your doing so," said Roger, urgently.
"Very well," replied Fanks, calmly putting the box in his pocket; "I will see about it to-morrow. But now you have set my mind at rest on this point, and I have told you my story, tell me yours."
Roger paled a little at this request, and remained silent for a few moments.
"Fanks," he said at last, with great solemnity, "you have your suspicions of me now, and perhaps when I tell you all, you may consider them to be confirmed. What then?"
"What then?" echoed Fanks, cheerfully. "Simply this. Knowing your character as I do, I don't believe you would be guilty of a cold-blooded murder, so when you tell me your story we will put our heads together and try to find out the true criminal."
"I'll be only too glad to do that," said Roger, gratefully, "if only to regain your confidence which I have lost."
"I told you a good deal of it at Jarlchester," replied Axton, looking at the fire thoughtfully; "but I will reveal now what I concealed then. The first time I met Judith Varlins was in this town. I came down with letters of introduction from a London friend to Mr. Marson, and he made me free of his house--in fact, he wanted me to stay there; but though I am poor I am proud, so preferred to put up at Binter's Boarding-house."