“Ah! What did I tell you?” cried Winthrop triumphantly.
Douglas paid no attention to him, but continued to address Eleanor. “Where do you keep this desk set?”
“In the writing room across the hall from my drawing-room.”
“Describe your first floor, please, Eleanor.”
“The drawing-room is to the left of the front door; to the right is the small writing room, back of that the staircase, and back of the drawing-room is the dining room. The house is what is called three-quarters.”
“I see. Does the dining room communicate with the drawing-room?”
“Yes; there are old-fashioned sliding doors between the two rooms.”
“Do you use portières?”
“Yes, on all the doors.”
Douglas smiled at her encouragingly, then he turned to the four men. “Miss Thornton has testified that no one of her household knew that Senator Carew was with her Monday night. She is mistaken. There was one other person who knew that fact; who had ample opportunity to overhear her conversation with the Senator; to take the letter file from the desk in the writing room, and steal after him when he left, open the carriage door, and stab him.”