to verify our conclusions by a visit to the spot."

He took off one or two more distances, and on comparing them with the
proportional distances on the ordnance map, found them in every case as
nearly correct as could be expected.

"Yes," said Thorndyke, laying down the dividers, "I think we have
narrowed down the locality of Mr. Weiss's house to a few yards in a
known street. We shall get further help from your note of nine
twenty-three thirty, when records a patch of newly laid macadam
extending up to the house."

"That new macadam will be pretty well smoothed down by now," I objected.

"Not so very completely," answered Thorndyke. "It is only a little over
a month ago, and there has been very little wet weather since. It may be
smooth, but it will be easily distinguishable from the old."

"And do I understand that you propose to go and explore the
neighbourhood?"

"Undoubtedly I do. That is to say, I intend to convert the locality of
this house into a definite address; which, I think, will now be
perfectly easy, unless we should have the bad luck to find more than one
covered way. Even then, the difficulty would be trifling."

"And when you have ascertained where Mr. Weiss lives? What then?"

"That will depend on circumstances. I think we shall probably call at
Scotland Yard and have a little talk with our friend Mr. Superintendent