The pile on the left grew, and the pile on the right became smaller, until there was only one book--a diary newer than the others which had been fastened by two brass locks, but had been opened by the Scotland Yard experts.
Tarling took up this volume and turned the leaves.

As he had expected, it was the current diary--that on which Thornton Lyne had been engaged at the time of his murder.

Tarling opened the book in a spirit of disappointment.

The earlier books had yielded nothing save a revelation of the writer's egotism.

He had read Lyne's account of the happenings in Shanghai, but after all that was nothing fresh, and added little to the sum of the detective's knowledge.
He did not anticipate that the last volume would yield any more promising return for his study.