the early part of whatever it was which woke me. I came out of my room
at once. Father's door was shut, and I could see the whole landing and
the upper slopes of the staircase. No one could have left by the door
unknown to me, if that is what you mean!"

"That is just what I do mean, miss. If every one who knows anything
will tell me as well as that, we shall soon get to the bottom of this."

He then went over to the bed, looked at it carefully, and asked:

"Has the bed been touched?"

"Not to my knowledge," said Miss Trelawny, "but I shall ask Mrs. Grant--
the housekeeper," she added as she rang the bell. Mrs. Grant answered
it in person. "Come in," said Miss Trelawny. "These gentlemen want to
know, Mrs. Grant, if the bed has been touched."

"Not by me, ma'am."

"Then," said Miss Trelawny, turning to Sergeant Daw, "it cannot have
been touched by any one. Either Mrs. Grant or I myself was here all the
time, and I do not think any of the servants who came when I gave the
alarm were near the bed at all. You see, Father lay here just under the
great safe, and every one crowded round him. We sent them all away in a
very short time." Daw, with a motion of his hand, asked us all to stay
at the other side of the room whilst with a magnifying-glass he examined
the bed, taking care as he moved each fold of the bed-clothes to replace
it in exact position. Then he examined with his magnifying-glass the
floor beside it, taking especial pains where the blood had trickled over
the side of the bed, which was of heavy red wood handsomely carved.