«It rained hard all last night, of course.»
«Yes; did you notice that the soot on the window-sill was vaguely marked?»
«I did,» said Wimsey, «and I examined it hard with this little fellow, but I could make nothing of it except that something or other had rested on the sill.» He drew out his monocle and handed it to Parker.
«My word, that's a powerful lens.»
«It is,» said Wimsey, «and jolly useful when you want to take a good squint at somethin' and look like a bally fool all the time. Only it don't do to wear it permanently — if people see you full-face they say, “Dear me! how weak the sight of that eye must be!” Still, it's useful.»
«Sugg and I explored the ground at the back of the building,» went on Parker, «but there wasn't a trace.»
«That's interestin'. Did you try the roof?»
«No.»
«We'll go over it to-morrow. The gutter's only a couple of feet off the top of the window. I measured it with my stick — the gentleman-scout's vade-mecum, I call it — it's marked off in inches. Uncommonly handy companion at times. There's a sword inside and a compass in the head. Got it made specially. Anything more?»
«Afraid not. Let's hear your version, Wimsey.»