“But,” I exclaimed, “do you mean that you are going to examine those rooms without any definite object at all?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” replied Thorndyke. “This is a legal case. Let me put an analogous medical case as being more within your present sphere. Supposing that a man should consult you, say, about a progressive loss of weight. He can give no explanation. He has no pain, no discomfort, no symptoms of any kind; in short, he feels perfectly well in every respect; but he is losing weight continuously. What would you do?”

“I should overhaul him thoroughly,” I answered.

“Why? What would you expect to find?”

“I don’t know that I should start by expecting to find anything in particular. But I should overhaul him organ by organ and function by function, and if I could find nothing abnormal I should have to give it up.”