reports of detectives, evidence of specialists and statements of
friends, relatives and servants of the deceased. A proper examination
of all the documents represented many hours of close study.

Stuart was flattered by the opinion held of his ability by the
Assistant Commissioner, but dubious of his chance of detecting any
flaw in the evidence which had escaped the scrutiny of so many highly
trained observers.

He paced the study restlessly. Although more than six hours had
elapsed, he had not communicated to Scotland Yard the fact of his
having seen Mlle. Dorian that afternoon. A hundred times he had read
the message, although he knew it by heart, knew the form of every
letter, the odd crossing of the _t'_s and the splashy dotting of
the _i_'s.

If only he could have taken counsel with someone--with someone not
bound to act upon such information--it would have relieved his mental
stress. His ideas were so chaotic that he felt himself to be incapable
of approaching the task presented by the pile of papers lying upon his
table.

The night was pleasantly warm and the sky cloudless. Often enough he
found himself glancing toward the opened French windows, and once he
had peered closely across into the belt of shadow below the hedge,
thinking that he had detected something which moved there. Stepping
to the window, the slinking shape had emerged into the moonlight--and
had proclaimed itself to be that of a black cat!

Yet he had been sorely tempted to act upon the advice so strangely