n was evidently greatly impressed.

"I happen to be right, you see," said Thorndyke; "but I might as easily
have been wrong."

"You weren't though, sir," said Polton. "You spotted him at a glance."

In his admiration of the result he cared not a fig for the correctness
of the means by which it had been attained.

"Now why do I suggest that he is a stationmaster?" pursued Thorndyke,
disregarding his assistant's comment.

"I suppose you were looking at his feet," I answered. "I seem to have
noticed that peculiar, splay-footed gait in stationmasters, now that you
mention it."

"Quite so. The arch of the foot has given way; the plantar ligaments
have become stretched and the deep calf muscles weakened. Then, since
bending of the weakened arch causes discomfort, the feet have become
turned outwards, by which the bending of the foot is reduced to a
minimum; and as the left foot is the more flattened, so it is turned out
more than the right. Then the turning out of the toes causes the legs to
splay outward from the knees downwards--a very conspicuous condition in
a tall man like this one--and you notice that the left leg splays out
more than the other.

"But we know that depression of the arch of the foot is brought about by
standing for long periods. Continuous pressure on a living structure
weakens it, while intermittent pressure strengthens it; so the man who
stands on his feet continuously develops a flat instep and a weak calf,
while the professional dancer or runner acquires a high instep and a
strong calf. Now there are many occupations which involve prolonged
standing and so induce the condition of flat foot: waiters,
hall-porters, hawkers, policemen, shop-walkers, salesmen, and station
officials are examples. But the waiter's gait is characteristic--a
quick, shuffling walk which enables him to carry liquids without
spilling them. This man walks with a long, swinging stride; he is
obviously not a waiter. His dress and appearance in general exclude the
idea of a hawker or even a hall-porter; he is a man of poor physique and
so cannot be a policeman. The shop-walker or salesman is accustomed to
move in relatively confined spaces, and so acquires a short, brisk step,
and his dress tends to rather exuberant smartness; the station official
patrols long platforms, often at a rapid pace, and so tends to take long
strides, while his dress is dignified and neat rather than florid. The
last-mentioned characteristics, you