in the surgery? But what Archdale had said made him
inquisitive, and after he had treated himself--in celebration
of his freedom--to an unusually good lunch at the Club, he
went round to the Cathedral to make a personal inspection of
the gallery in the clerestory.

There was a stairway to that gallery in the corner of the
south transept, and Bryce made straight for it--only to find a
policeman there, who pointed to a placard on the turret door.
"Closed, doctor--by order of the Dean and Chapter," he
announced. "Till further orders. The fact was, sir," he went
on confidentially, "after the news got out, so many people
came crowding in here and up to that gallery that the Dean
ordered all the entrances to be shut up at once--nobody's been
allowed up since noon."

"I suppose you haven't heard anything of any strange person
being seen lurking about up there this morning?" asked Bryce.

"No, sir. But I've had a bit of a talk with some of the
vergers," replied the policeman, "and they say it's a most
extraordinary thing that none of them ever saw this strange
gentleman go up there, nor even heard any scuffle. They
say--the vergers--that they were all about at the time,
getting ready for the morning service, and they neither saw
nor heard. Odd, sir, ain't it?"

"The whole thing's odd," agreed Bryce, and left the Cathedral.
He walked round to the wicket gate which admitted to that side
of Paradise--to find another policeman posted there. "What!