“Yes, and then the principal characters carefully plant their footprints, going and returning⁠—overlapping, you know⁠—and so Mr. Smarty-Cat Detective deduces the whole story.”

“But we’ve no footprints to help us.”

“No, we couldn’t have, in the house.”

“But if it was Schuyler⁠—”

“Well, even if⁠—he couldn’t make footprints without that convenient ‘light snow’ and there isn’t any.”

“And besides, Schuyler didn’t do it.”

“No, I know he didn’t. But you’re going to assume that, you know, in order to detect the real criminal.”

“Yes, I know I said so; but I don’t believe that game will work, after all.”