tell　me　all　you　know　about　it。〃
  I　then　confided　to　him　what　I　had　heard　and　ended　by　asking　him
  what　he　proposed　to　do。
  〃Do？〃　he　replied。　　〃There　is　but　one　thing　I　can　do；　which　makes
  the　choice　decidedly　easy；〃　and　he　set　his　jaws　together　with　a
  determined　expression；　the　meaning　of　which　I　knew　full　well。
  〃I　shall　camp　right　here；〃　he　said；　〃　till　I　learn　all　I　wish　to
  know　of　our　neighbours　yonder。　　I　have　already　provided　myself　with
  instruments　which　will　enable　me　to　note　every　movement　they　make；
  indeed　to　photograph　them；　if　necessary；　and　to　hear　and　record
  every　word　they　utter。　　You　look　surprised；　but　it　is　easily　done。
  I　will　place　my　lenses　there　at　the　chink　through　which　you　were
  gazing　and　bring　the　image　down　into　my　camera　obscura　by　a　prism
  arranged　for　total　internal　reflection。　　As　for　the　hearing；　that
  is　easier　yet。　　I　will　carefully　work　away　the　plaster　on　this
  side　to…night　till　I　get　through　to　the　paper　covering　their　wall。
  This　I　will　leave　intact　to　use　as　a　diaphragm。　　I　have　then　only
  to　fasten　my　carbon　to　it；　and；　behold；　we　have　a　microphone　or
  telephone　…　whichever　you　choose　to　call　it。　　All　I　have　to　look
  out　for　is　that　I　get　it　high　enough　to　avoid　the　danger　of　the
  paper　being　accidentally　broken　from　the　other　side；　and　that　I
  work　quietly　while　removing　the　plaster。　　I　shall；　of　course；　cover
  it　with　a　bit　of　black　felt　to　prevent　our　light　from　showing；　and
  to　deaden　any　sounds　from　this　side。　　This　will　enable　us　to　hear
  all　that　goes　on　in　the　other　room；　but　this　may　not　be　enough。
  We　may　need　a　phonographic　record　of　what　transpires。
  〃The　device　whereby　I　secure　this　at　such　a　distance　is　an　invention
  of　my　own　which；　for　patent　reasons　…　I　might　almost　say　'patent
  patent　reasons'　…　I　will　ask　you　to　kindly　keep　to　yourself。　　To　the
  diaphragm　there　I　fasten　this　bit　of　burnished　silver。　　Upon　this　I
  concentrate　a　pencil　of　light　which；　when　reflected；　acts
  photographically　upon　a　sensitised　moving　tape　in　this　little　box；
  and　perfectly　registers　the　minutest　movement　of　the　receiving
  diaphragm。　　How　I　develop；　etch；　and　reproduce　this　record；　and
  transform　it　into　a　record　of　the　ordinary　type；　you　will　see　in
  due　time　…　and　will　kindly　keep　secret　for　the　present。　　You　had
  better　go　now　and　send　me　the　things　on　this　list；　as　soon　as
  possible；〃　and　he　passed　me　a　paper；　continuing：
  〃We　will　not　despair　yet。　　Our　clever　rival　may　not　be　ready　to
  prove　his　case　so　quickly　as　we。　　At　all　events；　when　he　comes　again
  I　shall　be　in　a　condition　to　ascertain　how　far　he　has　progressed。　　I
  have　some　things　I　must　settle　before　I　can　ask　for　an　arrest；　and
  I　am　not　at　all　sure　that　M。　Godin　is　in　any　better　condition　in
  this　regard　than　I　am。　　By　Jove！　　I'd　give　something　to　know　how
  that　wizard　has　gotten　so　far　without　so　much　as　a　single　sign
  to　indicate　that　he　had　even　moved　in　the　matter。　　I　say；　Doc；　it
  beats　me；　blessed　if　it　doesn't！　　Please　say　to　Miss　Darrow　that　I
  am　at　work　upon　a　promising　clue…promising　for　someone；　anyway　…　and
  may　not　see　her　for　some　time　yet。〃
  I　did　as　he　requested；　and；　if　I　am　any　judge　of　feminine
  indications；　my　message　did　not　yield　Gwen　unmixed　pleasure；　still；
  she　said　nothing　to　warrant　such　a　supposition　on　my　part。　　I
  visited　Maitland　every　day　to　learn　what　he　might　wish　me　to　bring
  him；　and　also　to　carry　him　his　mail；　for　he　had　determined　to　remain
  constantly　on　the　watch　at　his　new　quarters。
  I　have　thus　far；　in　the　narration　of　these　incidents　been　perfectly
  candid　both　as　regards　my　friends　and　myself；　and；　therefore；　that
  I　may　continue　in　like　manner　to　the　end；　I　shall　suppress　certain
  qualms　which　are　urging　me　to　silence；　and　confess　myself　guilty　of
  some　things　of　which　you　will；　perhaps；　think　I　may　well　be　ashamed。
  Be　that　as　it　may；　you　shall　have　the　whole　truth；　however　it　may
  affect　your　opinion　of　me。　　One　reason　why　I　went　to　Maitland's　new
  quarters　so　often；　and　stayed　there　so　long；　was　because　I　was　always
  permitted　to　relieve　him　of　his　watch。　　With　a　telephone　receiver
  strapped　to　my　right　ear；　and　my　eyes　fastened　upon　the　screen　of
  the　camera　obscura；　I　would　sit　by　the　hour　prying　into　the　affairs
  of　the　two　people　in　the　next　room。　　I　tried　for　a　number　of　days
  to　ease　my　conscience　by　telling　myself　that　I　was　labouring　in
  the　cause　of　justice；　and　was　not　a　common　eavesdropper。　　This
  permitted　me　to　retain　a　sort　of　quasi　self…respect　for　a　day　or　two
  till　my　honesty　rallied　itself；　and　forced　me　to　realise　and　to
  admit　that　I　was；　to　all　intents　and　purposes；　a　common　Paul　Pry；
  performing　a　disreputable　act　for　the　gratification　it　gave　me。　　I
  determined　I　would　at　least　be　honest　with　myself　…　and　this　was　my
  verdict。　　You　will；　perhaps；　fancy　that　when　I　arrived　at　this
  decision　I　at　once　mended　my　ways　and　resigned　my　seat　of　observation
  to　Maitland's　entirely　professional　care。　　This；　doubtless；　I　should
  have　done；　if　we　fallible　human　beings　governed　our　conduct　by　our
  knowledge　of　what　is　right　and　proper。　　Inasmuch；　however；　as　desires
  and　emotions　are　the　determining　factors　of　human　conduct；　I　did
  nothing　of　the　sort。　　I　simply　watched　there　day　after　day；　with
  ever…increasing　avidity；　until　at　length　I　got　to　be　impatient　of
  the　duties　that　took　me　away；　and　more　than　half　inclined　to　neglect
  them。
  I　shall　gain　nothing　by　attempting　to　make　you　believe　it　was　the
  man　in　the　neighbouring　room　that　interested　me；　so　I　shall　not
  essay　it。　　I　confess；　with　a　feeling　of　guilt　because　I　am　not
  more　ashamed　of　it　…　that　it　was　the　young　lady　who　attracted　me。
  You　will；　I　trust；　assume　I　had　enough　interest　in　her　father　to
  palliate　my　conduct　in　a　measure。　　Be　generous　in　your　judgment。
  How　do　you　know　you　will　not　be　in　the　same　predicament？　　Think
  of　it！　　A　young　woman　beautiful　beyond　my　feeble　powers　of
  description；　her　eyes　of　a　heavenly　blue；　her　luxuriant　hair　like
  a　mass　of　spun　gold；　her　complexion　matched　to　the　tint　and
  transparency　of　the　blush　rose　…　and　such　a　throat！　　From　it　came
  a　voice　as　musical　as　the　unguided　waters　when　Winter　rushes　down
  the　hills　in　search　of　Spring。　　Never　you　mind；　that's　the　way　I
  felt　about　it；　and；　if　you　had　been　in　my　place；　you'd　have　been
  just　as　bad　as　I；　come；　now；　you　know　you　would。　　Suppose　I　was　a
  bachelor；　and　almost　old　enough　to　be　her　father。　　Does　that　help
  matters　any？　　Is　the　heart　less　hungry　because　it　has　been　starved？
  Just　look　at　your　history。　　When　nuns　have　relapsed　from
  other…worldliness　to　this…worldliness　how　have　they　been？　　I'll
  tell　you。　　They　have　been　just　a　round　baker's　dozen　times　worse
  than　they　would　have　been　if　they　had　never　undertaken　to　cheat
  Nature。　　Look　at　the　thing　fairly。　　I　don't　expect　to　dodge　any
  blame　that　I　deserve；　yet　I　do　want　all　the　palliating　circumstances
  duly　noted。　　Many　months　have　passed　since　then；　and　yet　the　thought
  of　that　sweet　girl　sends　a　thrill　all　over　me。　　I　wonder　where　she
  is　now？　　I　feel　that　we　shall　meet　again　some　time；　and　perhaps　you
  will　see　her　yourself。　　If　so；　you　will　see　that　I　couldn't　be
  expected　to　withstand　any　such　temptation。
  On　these　visits　Maitland　and　I　talked　but　very　little；　and　while　I
  was　spying　nothing　of　interest　occurred　…　i。　e。；　nothing　of　interest
  to　him　…　or；　if　it　did；　things　of　interest　to　me　prevented　my
  observing　it。　　On　several　occasions　he　alluded　vaguely　to　things　he
  had　learned　which　he　said　he　should　not　divulge　even　to　me　until　the
  proper　time　came。
  Things　went　on　in　this　way　for　about　two　weeks。　　I　visited　Maitland
  daily；　and　daily　the　little　lady　in　the　next　room　wove　her　spell
  around　me。　　If；　as　I　am　inclined　to　believe；　thinking　a　great　deal
  of　a　person　is　much　the　same　thing　as　thinking　of　a　person　a　great
  deal；　I　must　have　adored　her。
  One　night；　about　a　fortnight　after　Maitland's　change　of　abode；　I
  found　Alice　in　a　terrible　state　of　excitement　upon　my　arrival　home。
  She　met　me　at　the　door；　and　said　Gwen　needed　my　attention　at　once。
  I　did　not　stop　to　hear　further　particulars；　but　hastened　to　the
  sitting…room；　where　Gwen　lay　upon　the　lounge。　　She　was　in　a　stupor
  from　which　it　seemed　impossible　to　arouse　her。　　In　vain　I　tried　to
  attract　her　attention。　　Her　fixed；　staring　eyes　looked　through
  me　as　if　I　had　been　glass。　　I　saw　she　had　received　a　severe　shock；
  and　so；　after　giving　her　some　medicine；　I　took　Alice　aside　and　asked
  her　what　had　happened。　　She　said　that　Gwen　and　she　had　been　sitting
  sewing　by　the　window　all　the　afternoon；　and　talking　about　Maitland's
  recent　discoveries。　　At　about　five　o'clock　the　Evening　Herald　was
  brought　in　as　usual。　　She；　Alice；　had　picked　it　up　to　glance　over
  the　news；　when；　in　the　column　headed　〃Latest；〃　she　had　seen　the
  heading：　〃The　Darrow　Mystery　Solved！〃　　This　she　had　read　aloud；
  without　thinking　of　the　shock　the　unexpected　announcement　might　give
  Gwen；　when　the　sudden　pallor　that　had　overspread　the　young　woman's
  face　had　brought　her　to　her　senses；　and　she　had　paused。　　　Her
  companion；　however；　had　seized　the　paper　when　she　had　hesitated　and；
  in　a　fever　of　excitement；　had　read　in　a　half…audible　voice：
  John　Darrow　was　murdered。　　…　The　assassin's　inability　to　p