The great difficulty of the case was that I could discover no motive.

I could not see any way in which Mr.Jellicoe would benefit by the disappearance.

His own legacy was secure, whenever and however the testator died.

The murder and concealment apparently benefited Hurst alone; and, in the absence of any plausible motive, the facts required to be much more conclusive than they were." "Did you form absolutely no opinion as to motive ?" asked Mr.Jellicoe.
He put the question in a quiet, passionless tone, as if he were discussing some _cause celebre_ in which he had nothing more than a professional interest.

Indeed, the calm, impersonal interest that he displayed in Thorndyke's analysis, his unmoved attention, punctuated by little nods of approval at each telling point in the argument, were the most surprising features of this astounding interview.
"I did form an opinion," replied Thorndyke, "but it was merely speculative, and I was never able to confirm it.