There was no other furniture, and the walls were bare, a dirty gray color.

But what my eyes rested upon in sudden horror, was the body of a man, curled up in a ball on the floor as a dog lies, his face hidden in his arms.

That he was dead I knew at a glance.
I had seen violent death often, but this was different, and I shrank back, staring at that motionless form as though stricken by paralysis.
There was no movement in the room, no sound except the fluttering of a curtain.

With effort I gained control over my nerves, and moved slowly forward, placing my lamp on the table, so as to have both hands free.
This murder--or was it suicide ?--had occurred within ten minutes.

I turned the man over, revealing a bearded face, the features prominent but refined.