the ventilator is.”


“How very absurd! I never noticed that before.”


“Very strange!” muttered Holmes, pulling at the rope. “There

are one or two very singular points about this room. For example, what a fool a

builder must be to open a ventilator into another room, when, with the same

trouble, he might have communicated with the outside air!”


“That is also quite modern,” said the lady.


“Done about the same time as the bell-rope?” remarked Holmes.


“Yes, there were several little changes carried out about that

time.”


“They seem to have been of a most interesting character—dummy

bell-ropes, and ventilators which do not ventilate. With your permission, Miss

Stoner, we shall now carry our researches into the inner apartment.”


Dr. Grimesby Roylott’s chamber was larger than that of his step-daughter,

but was as plainly furnished. A camp-bed, a small wooden shelf full of books,

mostly of a technical character, an armchair beside the bed, a plain wooden

chair against the wall, a round table, and a large iron safe were the principal

things which met the eye. Holmes walked slowly round and examined each and all

of them with the keenest interest.


“What’s in here?” he asked, tapping the safe.


“My stepfather’s business papers.”


“Oh! you have seen inside, then?”


“Only once, some years ago. I remember that it was full of papers.”


“There isn’t a cat in it, for example?”


“No. What a strange idea!”


“Well, look at this!” He took up a small saucer of milk which stood

on the top of it.


“No; we don’t keep a cat. But there is a cheetah and a

baboon.”


“Ah, yes, of course! Well, a cheetah is just a big cat, and yet a saucer

of milk does not go very far in satisfying its wants, I daresay. There is one

point which I should wish to determine.” He squatted down in front of the

wooden chair and examined the seat of it with the greatest attention.