“That man died of pure blank terror, I’ll stake my reputation on it,” said Dr Murrell. “Out in Bulgaria, in the riot time, I saw a woman who had died like that. I have made my mind up to try and find out.”
“What?”
“What he saw.”
“How?”
“I shall photograph the retina by Mendel’s process.”
“Ah!” said Freyberger.
“Whatever he saw was seen by electric light, for the lamps in the bedroom were still alight when they found him. Electric light is more favourable even than sunlight for retinal pictures; he died instantaneously; the conditions could not well be more favourable.”
“You are a photographer?”
“Amateur,” replied the police surgeon, with a fine assumption of modesty, considering that photography, its highways and byways, was the hobby of his life.
“You will let me know if you are successful,” said the other, getting into the cab.