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78 'He showed his taste,' observed Trent. 'It might be more than interesting, don't you think, to be minister to the pleasures of a modern plutocrat with a large P. Only they say that Manderson's were exclusively of an innocent kind. Certainly Marlowe gives me the impression that he would be weak in the part of Petronius. But to return to the matter in hand.' He looked at his notes. 'You said just now that he was last seen alive here, "so far as the servants were concerned". That meant—?'

'He had a conversation with his wife on going to bed. But for that, the man-servant, Martin by name, last saw him in this room. I had his story last night, and very glad he was to tell it. An affair like this is meat and drink to the servants of the house.'

Trent considered for some moments, gazing through the open window over the sun-flooded slopes. 'Would it bore you to hear what he has to say again?' he asked at length. For reply, Mr. Murch rang the bell. A spare, clean-shaven, middle-aged man, having the servant's manner in its most distinguished form, answered it.

'This is Mr. Trent, who is authorized by