ins and
carpets."

"That of course; and when we had absolutely completed every particle of
the furniture in this way, then we examined the house itself. We divided
its entire surface into compartments, which we numbered, so that none
might be missed; then we scrutinized each individual square inch
throughout the premises, including the two houses immediately adjoining,
with the microscope, as before."

"The two houses adjoining!" I exclaimed; "you must have had a great deal
of trouble."

"We had; but the reward offered is prodigious."

"You include the grounds about the houses?"

"All the grounds are paved with brick. They gave us comparatively little
trouble. We examined the moss between the bricks and found it
undisturbed."

"You looked among D----'s papers, of course, and into the books of the
library?"

"Certainly; we opened every package and parcel; we not only opened every
book, but we turned over every leaf in each volume, not contenting
ourselves with a mere shake, according to the fashion of some of our
police officers. We also measured the thickness of every book-cover with
the most accurate measurement, and applied to each the most jealous
scrutiny of the microscope. Had any of the bindings been recently
meddled with, it would have been utterly impossible that the fact should
have escaped observation. Some five or six volumes, just from the hands
of the binder, we carefully probed, longitudinally, with the needles."

"You explored the floors beneath the carpets?"

"Beyond doubt. We removed every carpet and examined the boards with the
microscope."

"And the paper on the walls?"

"Yes."

"You looked into the cellars?"

"We did."

"Then," I said, "you have been making a miscalculation, and the letter
is not upon the premises, as you suppose."

"I fear you are right there," said the Prefect. "And now, Dupin, what
would you advise me to do?"

"To make a thorough research of the premises."

"That is absolutely needless," replied G----. "I am not more sure that I
breathe than I am that the letter is not at the hotel."

"I have no better advice to give you," said Dupin. "You have, of course,
an accurate description of the letter?"

"Oh, yes!" and here the Prefect, producing a memorandum-book, proceeded
to read aloud a minute account of the internal, and especially of the
external, appearance of the missing document. Soon after finishing the
perusal of this description he took his departure