\"I’llgetyousomefrommyownroom，\"andFranzhurriedaway，hislooseslippersclatteringdownthestairs。HewasnosoonerwelloutoftheroomthanMullerhadtheletterinhishandandwasstandingclosebythewindowtocatchthefadinglight。Butontheoldservant’sreturnthesupposedelectricianstoodcalmlyawaitingthecomingofthelight，andtheletterwasbackonthetablehalfhiddenbyapieceoflinen。Franzdidnotnoticethattheenvelopewasmissing。Andthehousekeeper，whosemindwassoupsetbytheeventsoftheday，andwhosethoughtswereonothermoreabsorbingmatters，wouldhardlybelikelytorememberwhethershehadreturnedthisquiteunimportantlettertoitsenvelopeornot。
Franzbroughtalightedcandlewithhim，andMuller，whoreallydidpossessacreditableknowledgeofelectricity，sawthatthewiresintheroomwereallingoodcondition。Ashehadseenatfirst，therewasreallynothingthematterexceptwiththepositionofthebutton。ButitdidnotsuithispurposetoenlightenFranzonthematterjustyet。
\"NowI’dbetterlookatthewiresinthegentleman’sroom，\"hesaid，whenhehadreturnedplateandbuttontotheirplace。
\"Justasyousay，\"repliedFranz，takinguphiscandleandleadingthewayoutintothehailanddownthewindingstair。Theycrossedthelowercorridor，mountedanotherstaircaseandenteredalarge，handsomelyfurnishedroom，halfstudio，halflibrary。Thewallwascoveredwithpicturesandsketches，severaleaselsstoodpiledupinthecorner，andabroadtablebesidethemheldpaintboxes，colourtubes，brushes，alltheparaphernaliaofthepainter，nowcarefullyorderedandcoveredforatermofidleness。Greatbookcasestoweredtotheceiling，andahugeflattopdesk，acostlypieceoffurniture，wascoveredwithbooksandpapers。Itwastheroomofamanofbrainsandbreeding，amanoftalentandability，possessing，furthermore，themeanstoindulgehistastesfreely。Evennow，withitsmasterabsent，thehandsomeapartmentboretheimpressofhispersonality。Thedetective’squickimaginationcalleduptheattractive，sympatheticfigureofthemanhehadseenatthegate，ashisquickeyetookinthedetailsoftheroom。AllthecharmofHerbertThorne’spersonality，whichthekeen-sensedMullerhadfeltsostronglyeveninthatfleetingglimpseofhim，camebackagainhereintheroomwhichwashisownlittlekingdomandtheexpressionofhismentality。
\"Well，what’sthetroublehere？Wherearethewires？\"askedthedetective，afterthemomentarypausewhichhadfollowedhisentranceintotheroom。Franzledhimtoaspotonthewallhiddenbyamarquetrycabinet。\"Here’sthebell，itringsforseveralminutesbeforeitstops。\"