The three men ran upstairs, leaving the hall to darkness and the
landlady.
Whether Hugo dropped the candle in his excitement, or whether it was
knocked out of his hand by means of a stick through the rails of the
landing-banister as he ascended, will never be accurately known. He
himself is not sure. The important fact is that the candle fell, and the
trio stumbled up the last few stairs with nothing to guide them but a
chink of light through a half-closed door. This door led to the rooms of
Dr. Woolrich, and the rooms of Dr. Woolrich were well lighted with gas.
But they were empty. There was a sitting-room and a bedroom, and on the
round table in the centre of the sitting-room was a copy of the most
modern edition of Quain's 'Dictionary of Medicine,' edited by Murray,
Harold, and Bosanquet, bound in half-morocco; the volume was open at the
article 'Anaesthetics,' and Hugo will always remember that the page was
sixty-two. No sooner were the rooms found to be empty than Hugo rushed
back to the landing, followed by Simon. The landing, however, even with
the sitting-room door thrown wide and the light streaming across the
landing and down the stairs, showed no sign of life.
Then Albert, who had remained within the suite, called out:
'There must be a dressing-room off this bedroom, and it's locked.
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