He slipped into this room
because it was the first he came to, and he hid behind the
curtain. There he remained until past eleven at night. At that
time Mr. Douglas entered the room. It was a short interview, if
there were any interview at all; for Mrs. Douglas declares that
her husband had not left her more than a few minutes when she
heard the shot."
"The candle shows that," said Holmes.
"Exactly. The candle, which was a new one, is not burned more
than half an inch. He must have placed it on the table before he
was attacked; otherwise, of course, it would have fallen when he
fell. This shows that he was not attacked the instant that he
entered the room. When Mr. Barker arrived the candle was lit and
the lamp was out."
"That's all clear enough."
"Well, now, we can reconstruct things on those lines. Mr.
Douglas enters the room. He puts down the candle. A man appears
from behind the curtain. He is armed with this gun. He demands
the wedding ring--Heaven only knows why, but so it must have
been. Mr. Douglas gave it up. Then either in cold blood or in
the course of a struggle--Douglas may have gripped the hammer
that was found upon the mat--he shot Douglas in this horrible
way.
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