The butler moved over to the front windows, pulled back the curtains and drew the bolts, fixing the windows wide. Then he walked over to the other one and parted the net curtains a little way. "They were like that, sir."
"Thank you. Before you go, I should like you to answer one or two questions. First, where did Sir Arthur keep the dagger he used as a paper-knife?"
"Always on the desk, sir."
"'There should be a sheath, I think, matching the handle. I don't see it here?"
"No, sir, the sheath was lost some years ago, when Sir Arthur had the knife abroad with him."
"Ah! I wondered about that." Harding drew a sheaf of papers from his breast-pocket, and ran through them till he found the one he wanted. "You have said that at five minutes past twelve on Monday you overheard voices in this room, one of which you identified as Mr. Halliday's."
"Yes, sir."
"You had no doubt that it was Mr. Halliday's voice?"
"No, sir, none. Mr. Halliday has what I might call a very distinctive voice."
"Did you overhear anything of what was said?"