ere the body lay. Second, the marks on the wrists, flesh
scratches and bruises, which we can only assume to have been done in a
struggle with somebody. Third, who ever heard of anybody shooting
himself in the eye? Then I heard from the manager of the hotel here
another fact, which strikes me as the most curious detail in this
affair. Manderson had dressed himself fully before going out there, but
he forgot his false teeth. Now how could a suicide who dressed himself
to make a decent appearance as a corpse forget his teeth?"

"That last argument hadn't struck me," admitted Mr. Murch. "There's
something in it. But on the strength of the other points, which had
occurred to me, I am not considering suicide. I have been looking about
for ideas in this house, this morning. I expect you were thinking of
doing the same."

"That is so. It is a case for ideas, it seems to me. Come, Murch, let us
make an effort; let us bend our spirits to a temper of general
suspicion. Let us suspect everybody in the house, to begin with. Listen:
I will tell you whom I suspect. I suspect Mrs. Manderson, of course. I
also suspect both the secretaries--I hear there are two, and I hardly
know which of them I regard as more thoroughly open to suspicion. I
suspect the butler and the lady's maid. I suspect the other domestics,
and especially do I suspect the boot-boy. By the way, what domestics are
there? I have more than enough suspicion to go round, whatever the size
of the establishment; but as a matter of curiosity I should like to
know."

"All very well to laugh," replied the inspector, "but at the first stage
of affairs it's the only safe principle, and you know that as well as I
do, Mr. Trent. However, I've seen enough of the people here, last night
and to-day, to put a few of them out of my mind for the present at
least. You will form your own conclusions. As for the establishment,
there's the butler and lady's maid, cook and three other maids, one a
young girl. One chauffeur, who's away with a broken wrist. No boy."

"What about the gardener? You say nothing about that shadowy and
sinister figure, the gardener. You are keeping him in the background,
Murch. Out with him!"

"The garden is attended to by a man in the village, who comes twice a
week. I've talked to him. He was here last on Friday."

"Then I suspect him all the more," said Trent. "And now as to the house
itself. What I propose to do, to begin with, is to sniff about a little