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He went over to the door, and turning the lock he examined it in his methodical way.

Then he took out the key, which was on the inside, and inspected that also.

The bed, the carpet, the chairs the mantelpiece, the dead body, and the rope were each in turn examined, until at last he professed himself satisfied, and with my aid and that of the inspector cut down the wretched object and laid it reverently under a sheet.

"How about this rope?" he asked.

"It is cut off this," said Dr. Trevelyan, drawing a large coil from under the bed. "He was morbidly nervous of fire, and always kept this beside him, so that he might escape by the window in case the stairs were burning."

"That must have saved them trouble," said Holmes, thoughtfully.

"Yes, the actual facts are very plain, and I shall be surprised if by the afternoon I cannot give you the reasons for them as well.

I will take this photograph of Blessington, which I see upon the mantelpiece, as it may help me in my inquiries."

"But you have told us nothing!" cried the doctor.

"Oh, there can be no doubt as to the sequence of events," said Holmes.

"There were three of them in it: the young man, the old man, and a third, to whose identity I have no clue.

The first two, I need hardly remark, are the same who masqueraded as the Russian count and his son, so we can give a very full description of them.

They were admitted by a confederate inside the house.

If I might offer you a word of advice, Inspector, it would be to arrest the page, who, as I understand, has only recently come into your service, Doctor."

"The young imp cannot be found," said Dr. Trevelyan; "the maid and the cook have just been searching for him."

Holmes shrugged his shoulders.

"He has played a not unimportant part in this drama," said he. "The three men having ascended the stairs, which they did on tiptoe, the elder man first, the younger man second, and the unknown man in the rear-"

"My dear Holmes!" I ejaculated.

"Oh, there could be no question as to the superimposing of the footmarks.

I had the advantage of learning which was which last night.

They ascended, then, to Mr. Blessington's room, the door of which they found to be locked.

With the help of a wire, however, they forced round the key.

Even without the lens you will perceive, by the scratches on this ward, where the pressure was applied.

"On entering the room their first proceeding must have been to gag Mr. Blessington. He may have been asleep, or he may have been so paralyzed with terror as to have been unable to cry out. These walls are thick, and it is conceivable that his shriek, if he had time to utter one, was unheard.

"Having secured him, it is evident to me that a consultation of some sort was held.

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