He even uttered a short ventriloquistic laugh without moving his mouth.

Then, shouldering his basket, he shut the door carefully and slid quietly down stairs.

In the lower hall he, however, found an unexpected difficulty in opening the front door, and, after fumbling vainly at the lock for a moment, looked around for some help or instruction.

But the Irish handmaid who had let him in was contemptuously oblivious of his needs, and did not appear.
There occurred a mysterious and painful incident, which I shall simply record without attempting to explain.

On the hall table a scarf, evidently the property of the servant before alluded to, was lying.
As Ah Fe tried the lock with one hand, the other rested lightly on the table.