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and it was equally clear that the only man who really profited by
the incident； as far as we could see； was the stepfather。 Then
the fact that the two men were never together； but that the one
always appeared when the other was away； was suggestive。 So were
the tinted spectacles and the curious voice； which both hinted at
a disguise； as did the bushy whiskers。 My suspicions were all
confirmed by his peculiar action in typewriting his signature；
which； of course； inferred that his handwriting was so familiar to
her that she would recognize even the smallest sample of it。 You
see all these isolated facts； together with many minor ones； all
pointed in the same direction。〃
〃And how did you verify them？〃
〃Having once spotted my man； it was easy to get corroboration。
I knew the firm for which this man worked。 Having taken the
printed description； I eliminated everything from it which could
be the result of a disguisethe whiskers； the glasses； the voice；
and I sent it to the firm； with a request that they would inform
me whether it answered to the description of any of their
travellers。 I had already noticed the peculiarities of the
typewriter； and I wrote to the man himself at his business
address； asking him if he would come here。 As I expected； his
reply was typewritten and revealed the same trivial but
characteristic defects。 The same post brought me a letter from
Westhouse & Marbank； of Fenchurch Street； to say that the
description tallied in every respect with that of their employee；
James Windibank。 Voila tout！〃
〃And Miss Sutherland？〃
〃If I tell her she will not believe me。 You may remember the
old Persian saying； ‘There is danger for him who taketh the tiger
cub； and danger also for whoso snatches a delusion from a woman。'
There is as much sense in Hafiz as in Horace； and as much
knowledge of the world。〃
。