It was a homely little room, with a low ceiling and a gaping fireplace, after the fashion of old country-houses.

A brown chest of drawers stood in one corner, a narrow white-counterpaned bed in another, and a dressing-table on the left-hand side of the window.

These articles, with two small wicker-work chairs, made up all the furniture in the room save for a square of Wilton carpet in the centre.

The boards round and the panelling of the walls were of brown, worm-eaten oak, so old and discoloured that it may have dated from the original building of the house.

Holmes drew one of the chairs into a corner and sat silent, while his eyes travelled round and round and up and down, taking in every detail of the apartment.
"Where does that bell communicate with ?" he asked at last pointing to a thick bell-rope which hung down beside the bed, the tassel actually lying upon the pillow.
"It goes to the housekeeper's room." "It looks newer than the other things ?" "Yes, it was only put there a couple of years ago." "Your sister asked for it, I suppose ?" "No, I never heard of her using it.