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He paused with a reflective eye bent upon the stu the expectant interest hich ere regarding him, he resumed: "The circuhly al issues should arise in respect of them, they are likely to yield soentlehaical circles He recently returned fro with him a very fine collection of antiquities--some of which, by the way, he has presented to the British Museu one to Paris on business I ift consisted of a very fine mummy and a complete set of toypt at the ti man left for Paris, but the muham's house by Dr Norbury of the British Museum, in the presence of the donor and his solicitor, and the latter was authorised to hand over the complete collection to the British Museum authorities when the tomb-furniture arrived; which he has since done
"From Paris he seems to have returned on the twenty-third of Nove Cross to the house of a relative, a Mr Hurst, who is a bachelor and lives at Eltham He appeared at the house at twenty minutes past five, and as Mr Hurst had not yet come down from town and was not expected until a quarter to six, he explained who he was and said he would wait in the study and write soly showed hi materials, and left him
"At a quarter to six Mr Hurst let himself in with his latchkey, and before the househ into the study and shut the door
"At six o'clock, when the dinner bell was rung, Mr Hurst entered the dining-roo that the table was laid for two, asked the reason
"'I thought Mr Bellingha to dinner, sir,' was The househam!' exclaimed the astonished host 'I didn't knoas here Why was I not told?'
"'I thought he was in the study with you, sir,' said the housemaid
"On this a search was made for the visitor, with the result that he was nowhere to be found He had disappeared without leaving a trace, and what made the incident one out by the front door For since neither she nor the cook was acquainted with Mr John Bellingham, she had remained the whole time either in the kitchen, which co-room, which opened into the hall opposite the study door The study itself has a Frenchopening on a narrow grass plot, across which is a side gate that opens into an alley; and it appears that Mr Bellingham must have made his exit by this rather eccentric route At any rate--and this is the important fact--he was not in the house, and no one had seen him leave it