had an enemy. Some of the men whom we have sentenced may have felt
a grudge against him, but surely not sufficient to lead them to a
crime like this."

"I will talk of it with you afterwards, Sir Charles. I have the
very strongest suspicions, although no absolute proofs. Now, will
you first come upstairs? Doctor Holloway is here and Simeox, but
no one has entered the room since I left it; I thought it better
that it should be left undisturbed until you came."

"Quite so; we will go up at once."

An examination of the room showed nothing whatever that would afford
the slightest clew. The Squire's watch was still in the watch pocket
at the head of the bed, his purse was on a small table beside him;
apparently nothing had been touched in the room.

"If robbery was the object," Sir Charles said gravely, "it has
evidently not been carried out, and it is probable that Mr. Thorndyke
was partly woke by the opening of the window, and that he was not
thoroughly aroused until the man was close to his bed; then he
leapt out and seized him. Probably the stab was, as Dr. Holloway
assures us, instantly fatal, and he may have fallen so heavily that
the man, fearing that the house would be alarmed at the sound, at
once fled, without even waiting to snatch up the purse. The whole
thing is so clear that it is scarcely necessary to ask any further
questions. Of course, there must be an inquest tomorrow. I should
like when I go down to ask the gardener where he left the ladder
yesterday. Have you examined the ground for footmarks?"