I make a point of carrying this foot-rule about with me, your Grace.

You would be surprised to learn how often it has come in useful." He took a little ivory foot-rule from his waist-coat pocket, and gave it to the inspector, who fell on his knees and measured the footprint with the greatest care.
"I must take a careful look at that house they're building.

I shall find a good many traces there, to a dead certainty," said M.Formery.
The inspector entered the measurements of the footprint in his note-book.

There came the sound of a knocking at the front door.
"I shall find footprints of exactly the same dimensions as this one at the foot of some heap of plaster beside that house," said M.Formery; with an air of profound conviction, pointing through the window to the house building beyond the garden.
A policeman opened the door of the drawing-room and saluted.
"If you please, sir, the servants have arrived from Charmerace," he said.
"Let them wait in the kitchen and the servants' offices," said M.
Formery.

He stood silent, buried in profound meditation, for a couple of minutes.