soda into the
glass, Inspector Dunbar, standing squarely in the middle of the
room, fixed his eyes upon the still form lying in the shadow of the
writing-table.

"You will have been called in, doctor," he said, taking the proffered
tumbler, "at the time of the crime?"

"Exactly!" replied Cumberly. "Mr. Leroux ran up to my flat and summoned
me to see the woman."

"What time would that be?"

"Big Ben had just struck the final stroke of twelve when I came out on
to the landing."

"Mr. Leroux would be waiting there for you?"

"He stood in my entrance-lobby whilst I slipped on my dressing-gown, and
we came down together."

"I was entering from the street," interrupted Exel, "as they were
descending from above"...

"You can enter from the street, sir, in a moment," said Dunbar, holding
up his hand. "One witness at a time, if you please."

Exel shrugged his shoulders and turned slightly, leaning his elbow upon
the mantelpiece and flicking off the ash from his cigar.

"I take it you were in bed?" questioned Dunbar, turning again to the
doctor.

"I had been in bed about a quarter of an hour when I was aroused by the
ringing of the door-bell. This ringing struck me as so urgent that I
ran out in my pajamas, and found there Mr. Leroux, in a very disturbed
state--"

"What did he say? Give his own words as nearly as you remember them."

Leroux, who had been standing, sank slowly back into the armchair, with
his eyes upon Dr. Cumberly as the latter replied:--

"He said 'Cumberly! Cumberly! For God's sake, come down at once; there
is a strange woman in my flat, apparently in a dying condition!'"

"What did you do?"

"I ran into my bedroom and slipped on my dressing-gown, leaving Mr.
Leroux in the entrance-hall. Then, with the clock chiming the last
stroke of midnight, we came out together and I closed my door behind me.
There was no light on the stair; but our conversation--Mr. Leroux was
speaking in a very high-pitched voice"...

"What was he saying?"

"He was explaining to me how some woman, unknown to him, had interrupted
his work a few minutes before by ringing his door-bell."...

Inspector Dunbar held up his hand.

"I won't ask you to repeat what he said, doctor; Mr. Leroux, presently,
can give me his own words."

"We had descended to this floor, then," resumed Cumberly, "when Mr.
Exel, entering below, called up to us, asking if anything was the
matter. Leroux replied, 'Matter, Exel! There's a devil