vent the discovery of her sister’s absence. As he is about to go, Miss Croydon returns, sees her sister, and tells her that the interview has led to Thompson’s death. Mrs. Delroy jumps to the conclusion that her sister has herself committed the crime and collapses. Miss Croydon then, for the first time, seeing Drysdale, warns him that she is compromised. Exit. Drysdale rushes off in search of an explanation. (That Mrs. Delroy should for an instant believe her sister guilty of such a crime argues that the skeleton is so horridly repulsive that only Thompson’s death could bury it effectually—which, of course, is plausible, since he doubtless knew the contents of the papers.)
“There,” said Godfrey, laying down his pencil, “after the recognised fashion, three acts are devoted to deepening the complications; two must now be devoted to clearing them away. That’s the work for the future. Let us see what we have to do.”
He took up the pencil again and turned to a new sheet.
1.—To establish the identity of the murdered man. This may be done by a more careful examination of his belongings. The callosities on his hands, his weather-beaten face, the cut of his clothes all indicate that he was a sailor. I should say that he had seen better days, but had been brought down in the world by drink. (Note—In the morning, send a man along the water-front with his photograph.)
2.—To disinter the skeleton. This, of course, will render necessary an examination of the history of the
