y," said I, "the pieces of reed convey nothing to me. I
don't know what they are or of what they have formed a part."

"I think," he replied, "that if you examine them with due consideration,
you will find their use pretty obvious. Have a good look at them and the
spectacles too. Think over all that you know of that mysterious group of
people who lived in that house, and see if you cannot form some coherent
theory of their actions. Think, also, if we have not some information in
our possession by which we might be able to identify some of them, and
infer the identity of the others. You will have a quiet day, as I shall
not be home until the evening; set yourself this task. I assure you that
you have the material for identifying--or rather for testing the
identity of--at least one of those persons. Go over your material
systematically, and let me know in the evening what further
investigations you would propose."

"Very well," said I. "It shall be done according to your word. I will
addle my brain afresh with the affair of Mr. Weiss and his patient, and
let the Blackmore case rip."

"There is no need to do that. You have a whole day before you. An hour's
really close consideration of the Kennington case ought to show you what
your next move should be, and then you could devote yourself to the
consideration of Jeffrey Blackmore's will."

With this final piece of advice, Thorndyke collected the papers for his
day's work, and, having deposited them in his brief bag, took his
departure, leaving me to my meditations.

Chapter XIII

The Statement of Samuel Wilkins

As soon as I was alone, I commenced my investigations with a rather
desperate hope of eliciting some startling and unsuspected facts. I
opened the drawer and taking from it the two pieces of reed and the
shattered remains of the spectacles, laid them on the table. The repairs
that Thorndyke had contemplated in the case of the spectacles, had not
been made. Apparently they had not been necessary. The battered wreck
that lay before me, just as we had found it, had evidently furnished the
necessary information; for, since Thorndyke was in possession of a
portrait of Mr. Graves, it was clear that he had succeeded in
identifying him so far as to get into communication with some one who
had known him intimately.

The circumstance should have been encouraging. But somehow it was not.
What was possible to Thorndyke was, theoretically, possible to me--or to