nothing has been found missing--"

"And that the fastenings to the house were all found secure this
morning; just so."

"He did not tell me that. In that case"--and I shuddered--"the murderer
must have been in the house all night."

Mr. Gryce smiled darkly at the door-knob.

"It has a dreadful look!" I exclaimed.

Mr. Gryce immediately frowned at the door-knob.

And here let me say that Mr. Gryce, the detective, was not the thin,
wiry individual with the piercing eye you are doubtless expecting to
see. On the contrary, Mr. Gryce was a portly, comfortable personage with
an eye that never pierced, that did not even rest on _you._ If it rested
anywhere, it was always on some insignificant object in the vicinity,
some vase, inkstand, book, or button. These things he would seem to take
into his confidence, make the repositories of his conclusions; but as
for you--you might as well be the steeple on Trinity Church, for all
connection you ever appeared to have with him or his thoughts. At
present, then, Mr. Gryce was, as I have already suggested, on intimate
terms with the door-knob.

"A dreadful look," I repeated.

His eye shifted to the button on my sleeve.

"Come," he said, "the coast is clear at last."

Leading the way, he mounted the stairs, but stopped on the upper
landing. "Mr. Raymond," said he, "I am not in the habit of talking much
about the secrets of my profession, but in this case everything depends
upon getting the right clue at the start. We have no common villainy
to deal with here; genius has been at work. Now sometimes an absolutely
uninitiated mind will intuitively catch at something which the most
highly trained intellect will miss. If such a thing should occur,
remember that I am your man. Don't go round talking, but come to me. For
this is going to be a great case, mind you, a great case. Now, come on."

"But the ladies?"

"They are in the rooms above; in grief, of course, but tolerably
composed for all that, I hear." And advancing to a door, he pushed it
open and beckoned me in.

All was dark for a moment, but presently, my eyes becoming accustomed to
the place, I saw that we were in the library.

"It was here he was found," said he; "in this room and upon this
very spot." And advancing, he laid his hand on the end of a large
baize-covered table that, together with its attendant chairs, occupied
the centre of the room. "You see for yourself that it is directly
opposite this door," and,