He's not in the house now, for
he could only be in your lordship's bedroom or dressing-room, and
we have searched every inch of both."
Lord Thornaby turned to us when the inspector had retreated,
caressing his peaked cap.
"I told him to clear up these points first," he explained, jerking
his head toward the door. "I had reason to think my man had been
neglecting his duties up there. I am glad to find myself mistaken."
I ought to have been no less glad to see my own mistake. My
suspicions of our officious author were thus proved to have been as
wild as himself. I owed the man no grudge, and yet in my human
heart I felt vaguely disappointed. My theory had gained color from
his behavior ever since he had admitted us to the dressing-room; it
had changed all. at once from the familiar to the morose; and only
now was I just enough to remember that Lord Thornaby, having
tolerated those familiarities as long as they were connected with
useful service, had administered a relentless snub the moment that
service had been well and truly performed.
But if Parrington was exonerated in my mind, so also was Raffles
reinstated in the regard of those who had entertained a far graver
and more dangerous hypothesis.
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