When he was ready, he called
me in, and I inspected him. It was extraordinary how well he
looked the part. I suppose that the signs of his dissipation had
already marked themselves on, his face, but had been concealed
hitherto by his moustache and beard; for now that he was
clean-shaven they lay open to the world from which we had so
carefully hidden them, and he was indeed the wastrel which he was
pretending to be.
"'By Jove, you're wonderful,' I said.
"He smirked, and called my attention to the various artistic
touches which I might have missed.
"'Wonderful,' I said to myself again. 'Nobody could possibly
guess.'
"I peered into the hall. It was empty. We hurried across to the
library; he got into the passage and made off. I went back to
the bedroom, collected all his discarded clothes, did them up in
a bundle and returned with them to the passage. Then I sat down
in the hall and waited.
"You heard the evidence of Stevens, the maid. As soon as she was
on her way to the Temple in search of Mark, I stepped into the
office.
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