stle, as he drew back into
the room.

"No one could have entered the room," cried the Ambassador, in a
frightened voice. "It is thirty-five feet or more to the ground."

Duvall motioned to the window. "Look out, monsieur," he remarked,
quietly.

De Grissac did so, then uttered a sudden cry. From the window to the
garden below stretched a long slender wooden ladder. "It belongs to the
men who have been repairing the rain spouting," he exclaimed. "They
leave it in the garden, at night. I knew there was no way in which Noel
could get out."

"But clearly a way, monsieur, by which others could get in," said
Duvall, quietly, as he began a minute examination of the room.

"But the snuff box--do you think it has been taken away?"

"Undoubtedly, monsieur. I suspected as much, when you showed me the
man's letter. Your servant, I have no doubt, took the box while shaving
you this morning. You doubtless dozed off, thus giving him the
opportunity. He did not know that you had taken snuff from the box this
morning shortly after arising, and imagined, no doubt, that you would
suppose you had lost it some time the night before. This would relieve
him of any suspicion. He hurried off to his room to secrete the box,
meaning to deliver it to this friend of his, Oscar Seltz, during the
afternoon. His arraignment by you, his subsequent imprisonment, no doubt
frightened him and filled him with remorse--hence his rather unfriendly
letter to Seltz. He had repented of his bargain, and was doubtless
engaged in preparing a confession, telling you of his crime, and the
reasons therefor, when the murderer entered the room.

"The latter, who probably was this man Seltz, must have become alarmed
by the tone of Noel's letter. He was, it seems clear, planning some trip
away from London, upon which he was about to leave. He meant to take the
snuff box with him. Upon receiving Noel's letter he determined to see
him and demand the box, if he found the latter had secured it. No doubt
he made inquiries from some of the servants, on calling to see Noel, and
was informed that he was confined to his room. He then pretended to
leave, but in reality, ascended to the room by means of the ladder he
found in the garden, while the servants were at dinner. It was a
desperate chance, but he took it. Upon arriving in the room, he found
Noel engaged in preparing his confession, insisted upon reading it, then
realizing that his confederate was about to play him f