But no one admits having seen him there; and it is uncertain, therefore, whether he went first to his brother's house or to Hurst's.

If he was wearing the scarab when he arrived at the Eltham house, he must have left that house unobserved and gone to Woodford; but if he was not wearing it he probably went from Woodford to Eltham and there finally disappeared.

As to whether he was or was not wearing the scarab when he was last seen alive by Hurst's housemaid, there is at present no evidence.
"If he went to his brother's house after his visit to Hurst, the disappearance is more understandable if we don't mind flinging accusations of murder about rather casually; for the disposal of the body would be much less difficult in that case.

Apparently no one saw him enter the house, and, if he did enter, it was by a back gate which communicated with the library--a separate building some distance from the house.

In that case it would have been physically possible for the Bellinghams to have made away with him.