The room was in its normal state, and in it I passed an instructive quarter of an hour." "What were you doing ?" "Well, not to make a mystery of so simple a matter, I was looking for the missing dumb-bell.

It has always bulked rather large in my estimate of the case.

I ended by finding it." "Where ?" "Ah, there we come to the edge of the unexplored.

Let me go a little further, a very little further, and I will promise that you shall share everything that I know." "Well, we're bound to take you on your own terms," said the inspector; "but when it comes to telling us to abandon the case--why in the name of goodness should we abandon the case ?" "For the simple reason, my dear Mr.Mac, that you have not got the first idea what it is that you are investigating." "We are investigating the murder of Mr.John Douglas of Birlstone Manor." "Yes, yes, so you are.

But don't trouble to trace the mysterious gentleman upon the bicycle.