"Do you remember how you got in this house?" The Unknown made an
effort.
"Yes--I--remember--that--all--right" he said, apparently
undergoing an enormous strain in order to make himself speak at all.
He put his hand to his head.
"My--head--aches--to--beat--the--band," he continued slowly.
Miss Cornelia was at a loss. If this were acting, it was at least
fine acting.
"How did you happen to come to this house?" she persisted, her voice
unconsciously tuning itself to the slow, laborious speech of the
Unknown.
"Saw--the--lights."
Bailey broke in with a question.
"Where were you when you saw the lights?"
The Unknown wet his lips with his tongue, painfully.
"I--broke--out--of--the--garage," he said at length. This was
unexpected. A general movement of interest ran over the group.
"How did you get there?" Beresford took his turn as questioner.
The Unknown shook his head, so slowly and deliberately that Miss
Cornelia's fingers itched to shake him in spite of his injuries.
"I--don't--know."
"Have you been robbed?" queried Bailey with keen suspicion.
The Unknown mumbled something unintelligible. Then he seemed to
get command of his tongue again.
"Everything gone--out of--my pockets," he said.
"Including your watch?" pursued Bailey, remembering the watch that
Beresford had found in the grounds.
The Unknown would neither affirm nor deny.
"If--I--had--a--watch--it's gone," he said with maddening
deliberation.
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