"this discovery, and the evident confusion which the cripple showed, made the inspector realise that the matter was serious. the rooms were carefully examined, and results all pointed to an abominable crime. the front room was plainly furnished as a sitting-room and led into a small bedroom, which looked out upon the back of one of the wharves. between the wharf and the bedroom window is a narrow strip, which is dry at low tide but is covered at high tide with at least four and a half feet of water. the bedroom window was a broad one and opened from below. on examination traces of blood were to be seen upon the windowsill, and several scattered drops were visible upon the wooden floor of the bedroom. thrust away behind a curtain in the front room were all the clothes of mr. neville st. clair, with the exception of his coat. his boots, his socks, his hat, and his watch—all were there. there were no signs of violence upon any of these garments, and there were no other traces of mr. neville st. clair. out of the window he must apparently have gone for no other exit could be discovered, and the ominous bloodstains upon the sill gave little promise that he could save himself by swimming, for the tide was at its very highest at the moment of the tragedy.