"Only the watch ticking in her hand. First I thought it was her heart
beating."

"No, I mean did you hear anything in the night?" went on the detective.
"Any queer noise? It's mighty funny if there was murder done and no
robbery. But of course she might have heard a noise if you didn't, and
she might have come down to find out what it was about. She might have
caught a burglar at work, and he may have killed her to get away. But
if it was a burglar it's funny you didn't hear any noise--like a fall,
or something. How about that, Mr. Darcy?"

"Well, no. I didn't exactly hear anything. I went to bed about half
past ten, after working at my table down here awhile."

"Was Mrs. Darcy in bed then?" Thong asked.

"I couldn't say. She had gone to her apartment, but I don't have to
pass near that to get to my room. I came straight up and went to bed."

"At ten o'clock, you say?"

"A little after. It may have been a quarter to eleven."

"And you didn't hear anything all night?" Carroll shot this question
at Darcy suddenly.

"No--no--not exactly, I did hear _something_--it wasn't exactly a
noise--and yet it was a noise."

"What kind of talk is that?" demanded Thong roughly. "Either it was a