'I knew a man once in California who shot a grizzly when he was sleep-walking. At least, he said so. That's the sum of my knowledge on the subject.'
'I want to know if people often walk about in the daytime unconscious?'
'They do. It is called wool-gathering.'
'Seriously, Athelstan. Consider. George saw Mr. Dering arrive in a state of unconsciousness. He saw nobody in the room. He opened the safe and placed some papers there. Then he locked the safe. Then he sat down at the window. Presently he awoke, and became himself again. If he did that once, he might do it again.'
'Well? And then?'
'You heard yesterday about the letters, and the placard and the Socialist tracts. Now Checkley couldn't do that. He couldn't, and he wouldn't.'
'Well?'
'But Mr. Dering could. If he had that attack once, he might have it again and again. Why, he constantly complains of forgetting things.'
'But the letters yesterday were addressed to Edmund Gray. How do you connect Edmund Gray with Edward Dering?'
'I don't know. But, my dear brother, the more I think of this business, the more persuaded I am that Checkley is not the prime mover, or even a confederate.'