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CHAPTER VII

The Key to the Mystery

THOMAS led the way through the hall and up the stair.

“Which room will you look at first, sir?” he asked.

“Let us see Mr. Tremaine’s room first.”

“Very well, sir,” said Thomas, and opened a door and stood aside to let us pass.

There was nothing at all extraordinary about the room. It was large, well-lighted, well-ventilated, well-furnished—just the sort of bedroom one would naturally expect to find in a luxurious country-house.

Godfrey cast a glance about it, then he went to one of the windows, opened it, and stepped out upon the balcony. He walked along the balcony to the end where the heavy creepers were, took a look at them, and finally came back to the window.

“That’s all,” he said, as he stepped through into the room. “Of course, I didn’t expect to find anything here—our friend is much too clever to be caught napping that way. Thomas, I suppose this table is just where it was when Mr. Tremaine had the room?”

“Yes, sir.”

Godfrey sat down at it, measuring the distance from it to the window.

“Lester,” he said, “I wish you’d go out and come up the walk and see if you can see me sitting here.”

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