? ? ? ? "What is it?"
? ? ? ? "Well, it seems to me that it is just possible that the arrival of this poor fellow William was not before, but after, the entrance of the burglar into the house. You appear to take it for granted that although the door was forced the robber never got in."
? ? ? ? "I fancy that is quite obvious," said Mr. Cunningham gravely. "Why, my son Alec had not yet gone to bed, and he would certainly have heard anyone moving about."
? ? ? ? "Where was he sitting?"
? ? ? ? "I was smoking in my dressing-room."
? ? ? ? "Which window is that?"
? ? ? ? "The last on the left, next my father's."
? ? ? ? "Both of your lamps were lit, of course?"
? ? ? ? "Undoubtedly."
? ? ? ? "There are some very singular points here," said Holmes, smiling. "Is it not extraordinary that a burglar -- and a burglar who had some previous experience -- should deliberately break into a house at a time when he could see from the lights that two of the family were still afoot?"
? ? ? ? "He must have been a cool hand."
? ? ? ? "Well, of course, if the case were not an odd one we should not have been driven to ask you for an explanation," said young Mr.
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