besides,
you don't look like a detective, sir.'

'What do I look like?' Hugo asked coldly.

'You look too much like a gentleman, sir. It's the hat, sir,' he added.

Simon had certainly surpassed himself that day. He had begun by
surpassing himself at early morning, and he had kept it up. Probably
never before in his life had he been so loquacious and so happy in his
loquacity.

'That's not a bad scheme, Simon,' said Hugo. 'Try it.'

The brothers went down the area-steps while Hugo remained at the gate. A
light burned steadily in the first-floor window. And then another and a
fainter light flickered in the hall, and after a few seconds the
front-door opened. Hugo literally jumped into the house, and, safely
within, he banged the door.

'Now,' he said.

A middle-aged woman, holding a candle, stood by Simon and Albert in the
hall.

'Are you the servant?' Hugo demanded.

'No, sir; I'm the landlady. And I'd like to know--'

'Your husband told me you were away and wouldn't return till to-morrow.'

'Seeing as how my husband's been dead these thirteen years--'

'We're in, sir. We'd better search the house to start with,' said
Albert. 'There's three of us. The man that opened the door to you must
have been a wrong un, one of _his_.'

'Never have I had the police in my house before,' wailed the landlady of
No. 23, Horseferry Road, while the candle dropped tallow tears on the
oilcloth. 'And all I can say is I thank the blessed Lord it's dark, and
you aren't in uniform. Doctor Woolrich's rooms are on the first floor,
and you can go up and see for yourself, if you like. And how should I
know he wasn't a real doctor?'

As the landlady spoke, sounds of footsteps made themselves heard
overhead, and a door closed.

'Give me that candle, my good woman,' said Hugo, hastily snatching it
from her.

The three men ran upstairs, leaving the hall to darkness and the
landlady.

Whether Hugo dropped the candle in his excitement, or whether it was
knocked out of his hand by means of a stick through the rails of the
landing-banister as he ascended, will never be accurately known. He
himself is not sure. The important fact is that the candle fell, and the
trio stumbled up the last few stairs with nothing to guide them but a
chink of light through a half-closed door. This door led to the rooms of
Dr. Woolrich, and the rooms of Dr. Woolrich were well lighted with gas.
But they were empty. There was a sitting-room and a bedroom,