disappearance. She had flung into the lake a bag containing some curious contents. These were all factors which had to be taken into consideration, and yet none of them got quite to the heart of the matter. What was the starting-point of this chain of events? There lay the end of this tangled line.
“ ‘I must see that paper, Musgrave,’ said I, ‘which this butler of yours thought it worth his while to consult, even at the risk of the loss of his place.’
“ ‘It is rather an absurd business, this ritual of ours,’ he answered. ‘But it has at least the saving grace of antiquity to excuse it. I have a copy of the questions and answers here if you care to run your eye over them.’
“He handed me the very paper which I have here, Watson, and this is the strange catechism to which each Musgrave had to submit when he came to man’s estate. I will read you the questions and answers as they stand.
“ ‘Whose was it?’ “ ‘His who is gone.’ “ ‘Who shall have it?’ “ ‘He who will come.’ “ ‘Where was the sun?’ “ ‘Over the oak.’ “ ‘Where was the shadow?’ “ ‘Under the elm.’ “ ‘How was it stepped?’