Chapter 24: Trifling circumstances.
"Was the front door bolted?" The lord enquired pensively.
"See, that's the kind of question you would ask, straight away, whereas it took me an hour to think of it. No; contrary to usual routine, there was only the Yale lock on the door. On the other hand, some of the maids had been given leave to go to the theatre, and Sir Smith may quite conceivably have left the door open under the impression they had not come in. Such a thing has happened before."
"And that's really all?"
"Really all. Except for one very trifling circumstance."
"I simply love trifling circumstances," said Lord Edward, with kiddish delight; "so many men have been hanged by these trifling circumstances. What was it?"
Sir Smith Hans and Lady Hans , who are a most devoted couple, always share the same room. Lady Hans, as I mentioned before, is in Mentonne at the moment for her health. In her absence, Sir Hans sleeps in the double bed as usual, and invariably on his own side—the outside—of the bed. Last night he put the two pillows together and slept in the middle, or, if anything, rather closer to the wall than otherwise. The housemaid, who is a most intelligent girl, noticed this when she went up to make the bed, and, with really admirable detective instinct, refused to touch the bed or let anybody else touch it, though it was not till later that they actually sent for the police."
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