“Why did you do this?”
“Out of consideration for my employer. He was exceedingly busy and if a caller came, I could probably attend to his wants and spare the doctor an interruption.”
“Did any one call?”
“No one.”
“Yet you remained until eleven?”
“Yes; I was doing some work of my own, and it was later than I thought, when I decided to go home.”
“And you spoke to the Doctor before leaving?”
“As is my custom, I tapped lightly at the door and said good-night. This is my rule, when he is busy, and if he makes no response, or merely murmurs good-night, I know there are no further orders till morning, and I go home.”
“Did he respond to your rap last night?”
“I—I cannot say. I heard him murmur a good-night but if he did, it was so low as to be almost inaudible. I thought nothing of it. Since he did not call out. ‘Come in, Lockwood,’ as he does when he wants me, I paid little attention to the matter.”