"indeed, it seemed unnecessary to put so nice a bell-pull there. you will excuse me for a few minutes while i satisfy myself as to this floor." he threw himself down upon his face with his lens in his hand and crawled swiftly backward and forward, examining minutely the cracks between the boards. then he did the same with the wood-work with which the chamber was panelled. finally he walked over to the bed and spent some time in staring at it and in running his eye up and down the wall.