noon
And , my fine fellow , you may consider yourself in luck ! '' he added , with a smile . `` Thank you , '' said Alexander . Before noon a detective had restored to John his money , and brought news , sad enough in truth , but perhaps the least sad possible . Alan Houston had been found in his own house in Regent Terrace , under care of the terrified butler . He was quite mad , and instead of going to prison , had been taken to Morningside Asylum . The murdered man , it appeared , was an evicted tenant who had for nearly a year pursued his late landlord with threats and insults ; and beyond this , the cause and details of the tragedy were lost .