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On enquiry we found that the constable was in bed, and we were shown into a little front parlour to await his coming.

He appeared presently, looking a little irritable at being disturbed in his slumbers. "I made my report at the office," he said.

Holmes took a half-sovereign from his pocket and played with it pensively. "We thought that we should like to hear it all from your own lips," he said.

"I shall be most happy to tell you anything I can," the constable answered with his eyes upon the little golden disk.

"Just let us hear it all in your own way as it occurred."

Rance sat down on the horsehair sofa, and knitted his brows as though determined not to omit anything in his narrative.

"I'll tell it ye from the beginning," he said.

"My time is from ten at night to six in the morning.

At eleven there was a fight at the 'White Hart'; but bar that all was quiet enough on the beat.

At one o'clock it began to rain, and I met Harry Murcher - him who has the Holland Grove beat - and we stood together at the corner of Henrietta Street a-talkin'.

Presently - maybe about two or a little after - I thought I would take a look round and see that all was right down the Brixton Road.

It was precious dirty and lonely.

Not a soul did I meet all the way down, though a cab or two went past me.

I was a strollin' down, thinkin' between ourselves how uncommon handy a four of gin hot would be, when suddenly the glint of a light caught my eye in the window of that same house.

Now, I knew that them two houses in Lauriston Gardens was empty on account of him that owns them who won't have the drains seed to, though the very last tenant what lived in one of them died o' typhoid fever.

I was knocked all in a heap therefore at seeing a light in the window, and I suspected as something was wrong.

When I got to the door -"

"You stopped, and then walked back to the garden gate," my companion interrupted. "What did you do that for?"

Rance gave a violent jump, and stared at Sherlock Holmes with the utmost amazement upon his features.

"Why, that's true, sir," he said; "though how you come to know it, Heaven only knows.

Ye see, when I got up to the door it was so still and so lonesome, that I thought I'd be none the worse for some one with me.

I ain't afeared of anything on this side o' the grave; but I thought that maybe it was him that died o' the typhoid inspecting the drains what killed him.

The thought gave me a kind o' turn, and I walked back to the gate to see if I could see Murcher's lantern, but there wasn't no sign of him nor of anyone else."

"There was no one in the street?"

"Not a livin' soul, sir, nor as much as a dog. Then I pulled myself together and went back and pushed the door open. All was quiet inside, so I went into the room where the light was a-burnin'. There was a candle flickerin' on the mantelpiece - a red wax one - and by its light I saw -"

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