"second proof. the scent turns out to be false, and the address given is a sham. an hour after that is at about eight, i went to wilkin’s myself, and there was no trace of ferdishenko. the maid did tell me, certainly, that an hour or so since someone had been hammering at the door, and had smashed the bell; she said she would not open the door because she didn’t want to wake her master; probably she was too lazy to get up herself. such phenomena are met with occasionally!"