Holmesstoodforamomentindeepthought。”Withyourpermission，”saidheatlast，”Ishouldliketogoupstairsandlookintothematter。”
　　Webothascended，followedbythedoctor。
　　Itwasadreadfulsightwhichmetusasweenteredthebedroomdoor。IhavespokenoftheimpressionofflabbinesswhichthismanBlessingtonconveyed。Ashedangledfromthehookitwasexaggeratedandintensifieduntilhewasscarcehumaninhisappearance。Theneckwasdrawnoutlikeapluckedchicken’s，makingtherestofhimseemthemoreobeseandunnaturalbythecontrast。Hewascladonlyinhislongnight-dress，andhisswollenanklesandungainlyfeetprotrudedstarklyfrombeneathit。
　　Besidehimstoodasmart-lookingpolice-inspector，whowastakingnotesinapocket-book。”Ah，Mr。Holmes，”saidhe，heartily，asmyfriendentered，”Iamdelightedtoseeyou。””Good-morning，Lanner，”answeredHolmes；”youwon’tthinkmeanintruder，Iamsure。Haveyouheardoftheeventswhichleduptothisaffair?””Yes，Iheardsomethingofthem。””Haveyouformedanyopinion?””AsfarasIcansee，themanhasbeendrivenoutofhissensesbyfright。Thebedhasbeenwellsleptin，yousee。There’shisimpressiondeepenough。It’saboutfiveinthemorning，youknow，thatsuicidesaremostcommon。Thatwouldbeabouthistimeforhanginghimself。Itseemstohavebeenaverydeliberateaffair。””Ishouldsaythathehasbeendeadaboutthreehours，judgingbytherigidityofthemuscles，”saidI。”Noticedanythingpeculiarabouttheroom?”askedHolmes。”Foundascrew-driverandsomescrewsonthewash-handstand。Seemstohavesmokedheavilyduringthenight，too。Herearefourcigar-endsthatIpickedoutofthefireplace。””Hum！”saidHolmes，”haveyougothiscigar-holder?””No，Ihaveseennone。””Hiscigar-case，then?””Yes，itwasinhiscoat-pocket。”
　　Holmesopeneditandsmelledthesinglecigarwhichitcontained。”Oh，thisisanHavana，andtheseothersarecigarsofthepeculiarsortwhichareimportedbytheDutchfromtheirEastIndiancolonies。Theyareusuallywrappedinstraw，youknow，andarethinnerfortheirlengththananyotherbrand。”Hepickedupthefourendsandexaminedthemwithhispocket-lens。”Twoofthesehavebeensmokedfromaholderandtwowithout，”saidhe。”Twohavebeencutbyanotverysharpknife，andtwohavehadtheendsbittenoffbyasetofexcellentteeth。Thisisnosuicide，Mr。
　　Lanner。Itisaverydeeplyplannedandcold-bloodedmurder。””Impossible！”criedtheinspector。”Andwhy?””Whyshouldanyonemurderamaninsoclumsyafashionasbyhanginghim?””Thatiswhatwehavetofindout。””Howcouldtheygetin?””Throughthefrontdoor。””Itwasbarredinthemorning。””Thenitwasbarredafterthem。””Howdoyouknow?””Isawtheirtraces。Excusemeamoment，andImaybeabletogiveyousomefurtherinformationaboutit。”
　　Hewentovertothedoor，andturningthelockheexamineditinhismethodicalway。Thenhetookoutthekey，whichwasontheinside，andinspectedthatalso。Thebed，thecarpet，thechairsthemantelpiece，thedeadbody，andtheropewereeachinturnexamined，untilatlastheprofessedhimselfsatisfied，andwithmyaidandthatoftheinspectorcutdownthewretchedobjectandlaiditreverentlyunderasheet。”Howaboutthisrope?”heasked。”Itiscutoffthis，”saidDr。Trevelyan，drawingalargecoilfromunderthebed。”Hewasmorbidlynervousoffire，andalwayskeptthisbesidehim，sothathemightescapebythewindowincasethestairswereburning。””Thatmusthavesavedthemtrouble，”saidHolmes，thoughtfully。”Yes，theactualfactsareveryplain，andIshallbesurprisedifbytheafternoonIcannotgiveyouthereasonsforthemaswell。IwilltakethisphotographofBlessington，whichIseeuponthemantelpiece，asitmayhelpmeinmyinquiries。””Butyouhavetoldusnothing！”criedthedoctor。”Oh，therecanbenodoubtastothesequenceofevents，”saidHolmes。”Therewerethreeoftheminit：theyoungman，theoldman，andathird，towhoseidentityIhavenoclue。Thefirsttwo，Ineedhardlyremark，arethesamewhomasqueradedastheRussiancountandhisson，sowecangiveaveryfulldescriptionofthem。Theywereadmittedbyaconfederateinsidethehouse。IfImightofferyouawordofadvice，Inspector，itwouldbetoarrestthepage，who，asIunderstand，hasonlyrecentlycomeintoyourservice，Doctor。””Theyoungimpcannotbefound，”saidDr。Trevelyan；”themaidandthecookhavejustbeensearchingforhim。”
　　Holmesshruggedhisshoulders。”Hehasplayedanotunimportantpartinthisdrama，”
　　saidhe。”Thethreemenhavingascendedthestairs，whichtheydidontiptoe，theeldermanfirst，theyoungermansecond，andtheunknownmanintherear——””MydearHolmes！”Iejaculated。”Oh，therecouldbenoquestionastothesuperimposingofthefootmarks。Ihadtheadvantageoflearningwhichwaswhichlastnight。Theyascended，then，toMr。Blessington’sroom，thedoorofwhichtheyfoundtobelocked。Withthehelpofawire，however，theyforcedroundthekey。Evenwithoutthelensyouwillperceive，bythescratchesonthisward，wherethepressurewasapplied。”OnenteringtheroomtheirfirstproceedingmusthavebeentogagMr。Blessington。Hemayhavebeenasleep，orhemayhavebeensoparalyzedwithterrorastohavebeenunabletocryout。Thesewallsarethick，anditisconceivablethathisshriek，ifhehadtimetoutterone，wasunheard。”Havingsecuredhim，itisevidenttomethataconsultationofsomesortwasheld。Probablyitwassomethinginthenatureofajudicialproceeding。Itmusthavelastedforsometime，foritwasthenthatthesecigarsweresmoke。Theoldermansatinthatwickerchair；itwashewhousedthecigar-holder。
　　Theyoungermansatoveryonder；heknockedhisashoffagainstthechestofdrawers。Thethirdfellowpacedupanddown。Blessington，Ithink，satuprightinthebed，butofthatIcannotbeabsolutelycertain。”Well，itendedbytheirtakingBlessingtonandhanginghim。Thematterwassoprearrangedthatitismybeliefthattheybroughtwiththemsomesortofblockorpulleywhichmightserveasagallows。Thatscrew-driverandthosescrewswere，asIconceive，forfixingitup。Seeingthehook，howevertheynaturallysavedthemselvesthetrouble。Havingfinishedtheirworktheymadeoff，andthedoorwasbarredbehindthembytheirconfederate。”
　　Wehadalllistenedwiththedeepestinteresttothissketchofthenight’sdoings，whichHolmeshaddeducedfromsignssosubtleandminutethat，evenwhenhehadpointedthemouttous，wecouldscarcelyfollowhiminhisreasoning。Theinspectorhurriedawayontheinstanttomakeinquiriesaboutthepage，whileHolmesandIreturnedtoBakerStreetforbreakfast。”I’llbebackbythree，”saidhe，whenwehadfinishedourmeal。”Boththeinspectorandthedoctorwillmeetmehereatthathour，andIhopebythattimetohaveclearedupanylittleobscuritywhichthecasemaystillpresent。”
　　Ourvisitorsarrivedattheappointedtime，butitwasaquartertofourbeforemyfriendputinanappearance。Fromhisexpressionasheentered，however，Icouldseethatallhadgonewellwithhim。”Anynews，Inspector?””Wehavegottheboy，sir。””Excellent，andIhavegotthemen。””Youhavegotthem！”wecried，allthree。”Well，atleastIhavegottheiridentity。Thisso-calledBlessingtonis，asIexpected，wellknownatheadquarters，andsoarehisassailants。TheirnamesareBiddle，Hayward，andMoffat。””TheWorthingdonbankgang，”criedtheinspector。”Precisely，”saidHolmes。”ThenBlessingtonmusthavebeenSutton。””Exactly，”saidHolmes。”Why，thatmakesitasclearascrystal，”saidtheinspector。
　　ButTrevelyanandIlookedateachotherinbewilderment。