persons of good repute in the neighbourhood), that their first and
second floor apartments had been engaged, on the previous day, for a
week certain, by a most respectable-looking gentleman--the same who has
been already described as answering the door to Mr. Godfrey's knock. The
gentleman had paid the week's rent and all the week's extras in advance,
stating that the apartments were wanted for three Oriental noblemen,
friends of his, who were visiting England for the first time. Early on
the morning of the outrage, two of the Oriental strangers, accompanied
by their respectable English friend, took possession of the apartments.
The third was expected to join them shortly; and the luggage (reported
as very bulky) was announced to follow when it had passed through the
Custom-house, late in the afternoon. Not more than ten minutes previous
to Mr. Godfrey's visit, the third foreigner had arrived. Nothing out of
the common had happened, to the knowledge of the landlord and landlady
down-stairs, until within the last five minutes--when they had seen the
three foreigners, accompanied by their respectable English friend,
all leave the house together, walking quietly in the direction of the
Strand. Remembering that a visitor had called, and not having seen the
visitor also leave the house, the landlady had thought it rather strange
that the gentleman should be left by himself up-stairs. After a
short discussion with her husband, she had considered it advisable to
ascertain whether anything was wrong. The result had followed, as I
have already attempted to describe it; and there the explanation of the
landlord and the landlady came to an end.

An investigation was next made in the room. Dear Mr. Godfrey's property
was found scattered in all directions. When the articles were
collected, however, nothing was missing; his watch, chain, purse,
keys, pocket-handkerchief, note-book, and all his loose papers had been
closely examined, and had then been left unharmed to be resumed by the
owner. In the same way, not the smallest morsel of property belonging to
the proprietors of the house had been abstracted. The Oriental noblemen
had removed their own illuminated manuscript, and had removed nothing
else.

What did it mean? Taking the worldly point of view, it appeared to mean
that Mr. Godfrey had been the victim of some incomprehensible error,
committed by certain unknown men. A dark conspiracy was on foot in the
midst of us; and our b