te from distaste of the house, and he now walked back
with manifest relief at our arrival. When we entered the house, he
ushered us without remark up on to the first-floor, and, preceding us
along a corridor, halted near the end. "That's the room, sir," said he;
and without another word he turned and went down the stairs.

We entered the room, and Mr. Brodribb followed on tiptoe, looking about
him fearfully, and casting awe-struck glances at the shrouded form on
the bed. To the latter Thorndyke advanced, and gently drew back the
sheet.

"You'd better not look, Brodribb," said he, as he bent over the corpse.
He felt the limbs and examined the cord, which still remained round the
neck, its raggedly-severed end testifying to the terror of the servants
who had cut down the body. Then he replaced the sheet and looked at his
watch. "It happened at about three o'clock in the morning," said he. "He
must have struggled with the impulse for some time, poor fellow! Now let
us look at the cupboard."

We went together to a door in the corner of the room, and, as we opened
it, we were confronted by three figures, apparently looking in at us
through an open door at the other end.

"It is really rather startling," said the lawyer, in a subdued voice,
looking almost apprehensively at the three figures that advanced to meet
us. "The poor lad ought never to have been here."

It was certainly an eerie place, and I could not but feel, as we walked
down the dark, narrow passage, with those other three dimly-seen figures
silently coming towards us, and mimicking our every gesture, that it was
no place for a nervous, superstitious man like poor Fred Calverley.
Close to the end of the long row of pegs was one from which hung an end
of stout box-cord, and to this Mr. Brodribb pointed with an awe-struck
gesture. But Thorndyke gave it only a brief glance, and then walked up
to the mirror, which he proceeded to examine minutely. It was a very
large glass, nearly seven feet high, extending the full width of the
closet, and reaching to within a foot of the floor; and it seemed to
have been let into the partition from behind, for, both above and below,
the woodwork was in front of it. While I was making these observations,
I watched Thorndyke with no little curiosity. First he rapped his
knuckles on the glass; then he lighted a wax match, and, holding it
close to the mirror, carefully watched the reflection of the flame.
Finally, laying his cheek