have proved that the sick man, Graves, was Jeffrey Blackmore; that the
tenant of New Inn was John Blackmore; and that the man Weiss was also
John Blackmore. We now have to prove that John and Jeffrey were together
in the chambers at New Inn on the night of Jeffrey's death.

"We know that two persons, and two persons only, came from Kennington
Lane to New Inn. But one of those persons was the tenant of New
Inn--that is, John Blackmore. Who was the other? Jeffrey is known by us
to have been at Kennington Lane. His body was found on the following
morning in the room at New Inn. No third person is known to have come
from Kennington Lane; no third person is known to have arrived at New
Inn. The inference, by exclusion, is that the second person--the
woman--was Jeffrey.

"Again; Jeffrey had to be brought from Kennington to the inn by John.
But John was personating Jeffrey and was made up to resemble him very
closely. If Jeffrey were undisguised the two men would be almost exactly
alike; which would be very noticeable in any case and suspicious after
the death of one of them. Therefore Jeffrey would have to be disguised
in some way; and what disguise could be simpler and more effective than
the one that I suggest was used?

"Again; it was unavoidable that some one--the cabman--should know that
Jeffrey was not alone when he came to the inn that night. If the fact
had leaked out and it had become known that a man had accompanied him to
his chambers, some suspicion might have arisen, and that suspicion would
have pointed to John, who was directly interested in his brother's
death. But if it had transpired that Jeffrey was accompanied by a woman,
there would have been less suspicion, and that suspicion would not have
pointed to John Blackmore.

"Thus all the general probabilities are in favour of the hypothesis that
this woman was Jeffrey Blackmore. There is, however, an item of positive
evidence that strongly supports this view. When I examined the clothing
of the deceased, I found on the trousers a horizontal crease on each leg
as if the trousers had been turned up half-way to the knees. This
appearance is quite understandable if we suppose that the trousers were
worn under a skirt and were turned up so that they should not be
accidentally seen. Otherwise it is quite incomprehensible."

"Is it not rather strange," said Marchmont, "that Jeffrey should have
allowed himself to be dressed up in this remarkable manner?"

"I thi