Nick believed him. He saw plainly enough that the physician was not only a man of character, but also that he had too much at stake to have connived at such a crime as had been committed the previous night. They had been following a driveway passing the garage and stable. In the latter a hostler was washing a covered wagon, and Nick glanced in and noted that the wheels had rubber tires. A few more steps brought them to the annex of the brick building. A door leading into a broad corridor with a cement floor was wide open. Instead of immediately entering, however, Doctor Dabney turned to another door some twelve feet to the right, remarking, while he opened it: “Speaking of subjects for dissection, Mr. Ryder, I will begin with showing you where they are kept until wanted. The door in the rear leads directly into the dissecting room, where I give many of my lectures.” Nick peered into the cold basement room which the physician disclosed. It was lighted with only a single narrow window, high in one of the walls. The door in the rear wall was closed. On a low stone shelf at one side a covered figure was lying, gruesome in its suggestiveness, but the size of which at once convinced Nick that it could not be the body of Andy Margate. Near the opposite wall, nevertheless, and equally convincing to the detective, stood a long, narrow box, somewhat faded and defaced, which Nick saw at a glance was about the size of the imprint found in the alley back of Fink’s undertaking rooms. “It’s not a very agreeable sight, Mr. Ryder, but I thought you might wish to omit nothing in connection with my establishment,” said Doctor Dabney, in apologetic tones. “Quite right,” Nick replied. “Do you mind if I step in?” “Certainly not,” said the physician, with a look of surprise. “Such things do not affect me seriously,” Nick added. “The room appears well adapted to what is required of it. May I ask, Doctor Dabney, what this box contains?” Nick touched it with his foot. “Nothing whatever. It is empty.” “Are you sure of it?” “Sure of it--certainly,” exclaimed the physician. “It was put here only temporarily. It contained the casement in which a skeleton was recently shipped to me from New York. The skeleton has been removed and is now in the dissecting room.” Nick turned and regarded him more sharply. “Would you be surprised, Doctor Dabney, if I were to tell you that the box now contains a corpse?” he inquired. “Surprised would hardly express it,” Doctor Dabney replied, with a shrug. “I would not call you a liar, of course, but I would say that you never were more mistaken in your life.” “Nevertheless, doctor, you’re the one who would be mistaken,” said Nick pointedly. “Nonsense! You don’t mean----” “I mean just what I say, Doctor Dabney. This box now contains a corpse.” “Absurd! How could----”