ry. I
notified Doctor Norbury of the fact, and five days later he came and
removed it to the Museum.

"Now that the main difficulty was disposed of, I began to consider the
further difficulty to which you, sir, have alluded with such admirable
perspicuity. It was necessary that John Bellingham should make one
more appearance in public before sinking into final oblivion.

"Accordingly, I devised the visit to Hurst's house, which was
calculated to serve two purposes. It created a satisfactory date for
the disappearance, eliminating me from any connection with it, and by
throwing some suspicion on Hurst it would make him more amenable--less
likely to dispute my claim when he learned the provisions of the will.

"The affair was quite simple. I knew that Hurst had changed his
servants since I was last at his house, and I knew his habits. On that
day I took the suitcase to Charing Cross and deposited it in the
cloakroom, called at Hurst's office to make sure that he was there, and
went from thence direct to Cannon Street and caught the train to
Eltham. On arriving at the house, I took the precaution to remove my
spectacles--the only distinctive feature of my exterior--and was duly
shown into the study at my request. As soon as the housemaid had left
the room I quietly let myself out by the French window, which I closed
behind me but could not fasten, went out at the side gate and closed
that also behind me, holding the bolt of the latch back with my
pocket-knife so that I need not slam the gate to shut it.

"The other events of that day, including the dropping of the scarab, I
need not describe, as they are known to you. But I may fitly make a
few remarks on the unfortunate tactical error into which I fell in
respect of the bones. That error arose, as you have doubtless
perceived, from the lawyer's incurable habit of underestimating the
scientific expert. I had no idea mere bones were capable of furnishing
so much information to a man of science.

"The way in which the affair came about was this: the damaged mummy of
Sebek-hotep, perishing gradually by exposure to the air, was not only
an eyesore to me: it was a definite danger. It was the only remaining
link between me and the disappearance. I resolved to be rid of it and
cast about for some means of destroying it. And then, in an evil
moment, the idea of utilizing it occurred to me.

"There was an undoubted danger that the Court might refuse to presume
d