Page:Alice Stuyvesant - The Vanity Box.djvu/211

 when his recollections had been baited and played, with the skill of a true fisherman, by the detective.

Thus it was established that Barr had at one period gone every day, or nearly every day, to the View Tower, beginning a habit which he might have chosen to keep up secretly, after having ostensibly dropped it. It would have been the easiest thing in the world for him to have Sir Ian's key copied, as he had certainly had it for weeks in his possession; and it was not unnatural that he might have wanted to keep the run of the place. At his own cottage, which was more picturesque than convenient, he had but one sitting-room, where he must do his work, write his letters, see his callers and eat his meals. Besides, the situation of the housekeeper's room just above made it practically impossible to hold a private conversation in that sitting-room, if she were overhead or likely to go. It seemed almost certain to Gaylor that Barr would have had the key copied, in order to use the Tower when he chose.

He must have known that neither Mrs. Forestier nor any one else, with the exception of Barnard, opened the Tower doors twice a year. As for Barnard, he went only once every few weeks; and it would have been possible for Barr to find out which days were chosen by the farmer for his inspection. Even if Tom had come upon the steward there, no harm would have been done, for it might be supposed that Barr retained permission to go when he liked.