“Well, I know I very nearly went in to speak about his hauling the furniture about like that. I should have, only I was supposed to be lying down. Then I heard the French window opened. I suppose, as you say, sir, he felt a bit better and stood there for a breath of air, but the rain was coming down so just then that I couldn't be sure what I heard. I had the blind down, it had come over so dark, and was working by the electric light. I didn't hear anything more, for which I'm thankful; I mean to say, I don't think I could stand it to've heard him shut himself into that wardrobe—it's quite bad enough to've heard what I did. When I went in to get the room ready for Mr. Beale the window-catch was open, though the window had blown shut. To think that when I was getting the room ready I actually tugged at the door of that wardrobe. My goodness, if it _had_ opened!” “You heard nothing more?” “Nothing, sir. Not a sound.” “You didn't hear Mr. Eames walk up and down on the balcony or pass your window?” “The rain was pouring so just then, sir, that he might have shouted and I shouldn't have heard anything outside. What I mean to say, it really was a clatter which came on just then, so as you couldn't hardly hear yourself think.” “You didn't look out at all after the blind was down?” “Oh, no, sir, I had a rush to get the dress done in time as it was.” “Humph.” Pointer seemed in no hurry to speak. The Eames case was to remain a “suicide” as long as possible. “How were you sure it was Mr. Eames? I mean when you heard the glass clink? It might have been some friend of his in there at first?” “I heard him sneeze when I had scarcely sat down. He had such a bad cold. I think myself that it was the influenza that made him go off his head and drink poison and all. I mean to say I've read of such cases.” “It looks very like it,” he agreed, “and now, Maggie, I think I heard Miss Leslie go out a little while ago?” “Yes, sir. She's due at a rehearsal at the Columbine.” “Then seat yourself in her room and listen. I shall drop something on the table, then I shall drop something else on it. I want you to come back and tell me which of the two sounds the heaviest. Listen carefully.” Maggie disappeared. Pointer could hear the wicker easy-chair creak slightly. He dropped one of the dental works which Eames had always had out on his table. Then after a pause he dropped it again. He and Watts had already tested just how much could be heard through the partition wall, but this time he was testing Maggie's accuracy. She came back a second later, looking rather awkward. “Well, sir, they both sounded alike. I mean to say I reely couldn't tell any difference, not to speak of.”