“My fault entirely!” he muttered, biting his wiry mustache. “I should have come and seen for myself if there was another way out.” Leroux, in a new flutter of excitement, now craned from the window. “It might be possible to climb down the shaft,” he cried, after a brief survey, “but not if one were carrying a heavy grip, such as that which he has taken!” “H'm!” said Dunbar. “You are a writing gentleman, I understand, and yet it does not occur to you that he could have lowered the bag on a cord, if he wanted to avoid the noise of dropping it!” “Yes--er--of course!” muttered Leroux. “But really--but really--oh, good God! I am bewildered! What in Heaven's name does it all mean!” “It means trouble,” replied Dunbar, grimly; “bad trouble.” They returned to the study, and Inspector Dunbar, for the first time since his arrival, walked across and examined the fragmentary message, raising his eyebrows when he discovered that it was written upon the same paper as Leroux's MSS. He glanced, too, at the pen lying on a page of “Martin Zeda” near the lamp and at the inky splash which told how hastily the pen had been dropped. Then--his brows drawn together--he stooped to the body of the murdered woman. Partially raising the fur cloak, he suppressed a gasp of astonishment. “Why! she only wears a silk night-dress, and a pair of suede slippers!” He glanced back over his shoulder. “I had noted that,” said Cumberly. “The whole business is utterly extraordinary.” “Extraordinary is no word for it!” growled the inspector, pursuing his examination.... “Marks of pressure at the throat--yes; and generally unhealthy appearance.” “Due to the drug habit,” interjected Dr. Cumberly. “What drug?” “I should not like to say out of hand; possibly morphine.” “No jewelry,” continued the detective, musingly; “wedding ring--not a new one. Finger nails well cared for, but recently neglected. Hair dyed to hide gray patches; dye wanted renewing. Shoes, French. Night-robe, silk; good lace; probably French, also. Faint perfume--don't know what it is--apparently proceeding from civet fur. Furs, magnificent; very costly.”... He slightly moved the table-lamp in order to direct its light upon the white face. The bloodless lips were parted and the detective bent, closely peering at the teeth thus revealed. “Her teeth were oddly discolored, doctor,” he said, taking out a magnifying glass and examining them closely. “They had been recently scaled, too; so that she was not in the habit of neglecting them.” Dr. Cumberly nodded. “The drug habit, again,” he said guardedly; “a proper examination will establish the full facts.” The inspector added brief notes to those already made, ere he rose from beside the body. Then:-- “You are absolutely certain,” he said, deliberately, facing Leroux, “that you had never set eyes on this woman prior to her coming here, to-night?” “I can swear it!” said Leroux.