which led into the quarters of the Tollers opened into this suite, but it was

invariably locked. One day, however, as I ascended the stair, I met Mr.

Rucastle coming out through this door, his keys in his hand, and a look on his

face which made him a very different person to the round, jovial man to whom I

was accustomed. His cheeks were red, his brow was all crinkled with anger, and

the veins stood out at his temples with passion. He locked the door and hurried

past me without a word or a look.


“This aroused my curiosity, so when I went out for a walk in the grounds

with my charge, I strolled round to the side from which I could see the windows

of this part of the house. There were four of them in a row, three of which

were simply dirty, while the fourth was shuttered up. They were evidently all

deserted. As I strolled up and down, glancing at them occasionally, Mr.

Rucastle came out to me, looking as merry and jovial as ever.


“‘Ah!’ said he, ‘you must not think me rude if I

passed you without a word, my dear young lady. I was preoccupied with business

matters.’


“I assured him that I was not offended. ‘By the way,’ said I,

‘you seem to have quite a suite of spare rooms up there, and one of them

has the shutters up.’


“He looked surprised and, as it seemed to me, a little startled at my

remark.


“‘Photography is one of my hobbies,’ said he. ‘I

have made my dark room up there. But, dear me! what an observant young lady we

have come upon. Who would have believed it? Who would have ever believed

it?’ He spoke in a jesting tone, but there was no jest in his eyes as he

looked at me. I read suspicion there and annoyance, but no jest.


“Well, Mr. Holmes, from the moment that I understood that there was

something about that suite of rooms which I was not to know, I was all on fire

to go over them. It was not mere curiosity, though I have my share of that. It