"Was there no address on his letters?" "None." "Did it not strike you as somewhat singular?" "I never gave it a thought." "And of course you did not examine the postmarks on the envelopes?" "I did not." "Did you destroy his letters?" "Not all. There may be one or two in a desk in my lodgings." I scribbled an order which he signed. It gave me authority to enter his rooms and look through the desk, the lock of which he informed me was broken. He then furnished me with a precise description of the personal appearance of Maxwell. "Your wife's maid, Annette, had another name?" "Her full name was Annette Lourbet." "Have you any idea what has become of her?" "No." "I want you now to take your mind back to the night of the struggle. It appears very strange to me that in the course of the fight you should both have ascended a flight of stairs. Much more likely to have stumbled down than up. Can you account for it?" "No." "When you finally left the house, Louis Fordham's body was lying at the end of the room opposite the door. Can you be sure of that?" "I am quite sure." "The table was in the middle of the room?" "Yes." "Some significant details have escaped your notice. Do you not recollect that in the newspaper reports it was stated that Louis' body was beneath the table?" He started at this, and I perceived that he was becoming more interested. "I recollect it, but it did not strike me at the time, my mind being occupied by but one thought. Louis was dead. I had killed him." "It appears strange to you now?" "Very strange," he answered, thoughtfully. "In order to argue this out," I continued, "I will suppose that when you left the house, you were mistaken in your belief that Louis was dead. Shortly afterwards he came to his senses. Getting upon his feet he staggered about the room in the dark till his hands touched the table. In his endeavors to reach the door the table was upset." "Yes, that explains it." I smiled at his readiness and simplicity. "But the fairer assumption is that he would have fallen upon the table, not under it." He stared at me; a light seemed to be breaking upon him. In an unsteady voice he asked, "What deduction do you draw from that?" "That another person entered the house after your departure; that another person hurled the table--a massive oak table, according to the newspaper reports--upon the body in such a way as to purposely mutilate the features." "Another person did enter," said John Fordham. "I know. Maxwell." "Yes, Maxwell. He happened, as he said, to be passing through the street on the night of the snowstorm, and found the street door open." "I have read the particulars in the document you sent to Miss Cameron. Do you believe his statement?" "What reason is there for disbelief?" he asked, "when he was acquainted with so many things which I thought no one knew but myself?"