"All very fine, Mr. Holmes," said he. "But there is one
little flaw in your splendid theory. I was myself in my room,
and I never left it during the day."
"I am aware of that, Professor Coram."
"And you mean to say that I could lie upon that bed and not
be aware that a woman had entered my room?"
"I never said so. You WERE aware of it. You spoke with her.
You recognised her. You aided her to escape."
Again the Professor burst into high-keyed laughter.
He had risen to his feet and his eyes glowed like embers.
"You are mad!" he cried. "You are talking insanely.
I helped her to escape? Where is she now?"
"She is there," said Holmes, and he pointed to a high bookcase
in the corner of the room.
I saw the old man throw up his arms, a terrible convulsion
passed over his grim face, and he fell back in his chair.
At the same instant the bookcase at which Holmes pointed swung
round upon a hinge, and a woman rushed out into the room.
"You are right!" she cried, in a strange foreign voice.
"You are right! I am here."
She was brown with the dust and draped with the cobwebs which
had come from the walls of her hiding-place.
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