”Thenyoucangiveussomesortofanideahowwearetoapplyformembership。”Mr。DunnmettheconcentratedgazeofhistwoevidentlyunwelcomevisitorswithafranknesswhichdashedGeorge’sconfidenceinhimself，butmadelittlevisibleimpressionuponhisdaringcompanion。”Ishouldratherseeyouatanothertime，”saidhe。”But-”hishesitationwasinappreciablesavetothenicestear-”ifyouwillallowmetobebrief，IwilltellyouwhatIknow-whichisverylittle。”
Sweetwaterwasgreatlytakenaback。Allhehadlookedfor，ashewascarefultotellmyhusbandlater，wasasufficientlyprolongedconversationtoenableGeorgetomarkandstudytheworkingsofthefacehewasnotyetsureof。Nordidthedetectivefeelquiteeasyatthereadinessofhisreception；noranytoowellpleasedtoaccepttheinvitationwhichthismannowgavethemtoenterhisroom。
Buthesufferednobetrayalofhismisgivingstoescapehim，thoughhewascarefultointimatetoGeorge，astheywaitedinthedoorwayfortheothertolightup，thatheshouldnotbedispleasedathisrefusaltoaccompanyhimfurtherinthisadventure，andevenadvisedhimtoremaininthehalltillhereceivedhissummonstoenter。
ButGeorgehadnotcomeasfarasthistobackoutnow，andassoonashesawSweetwateradvanceintothenowwell-lightedinterior，headvancedtooandbegantolookaroundhim。
Theroom，likemanyothersintheseold-fashionedtenements，hadajogjustwherethedoorwas，sothatonenteringtheyhadtotakeseveralstepsbeforetheycouldgetafullglimpseofitsfourwalls。
Whentheydid，bothshowedsurprise。Comfort，ifnotelegance，confrontedthem，whichimpression，however，wasimmediatelylostintheevidencesofwork，manual，aswellasintellectual，whichwereeverywherescatteredabout。
Themanwholivedherewasnotonlyastudent，aswasevincedbyalongwallfullofbooks，buthewasanart-lover，amusician，aninventorandanathlete。
Somuchcouldbelearnedfromthemostcursoryglance。Amorecarefulonepickedupotherfactsfullyasstartlingandimpressive。
Thebookswerechoice；theinventiontoallappearanceapracticalone；theartofahighorderandthemusic，suchaswasinview，ofacharacterofwhichthenicesttasteneednotbeashamed。
Georgebegantofeelquiteconsciousoftheintrusionofwhichtheyhadbeenguilty，andwasamazedattheeasewithwhichthedetectivecarriedhimselfinthepresenceofsuchmanifestationsofcultureandgood，hardwork。Hewastryingtorecalltheexactappearanceofthefigurehehadseenstoopinginthesnowystreettwonightsbefore，whenhefoundhimselfstaringattheoccupantoftheroom，whohadtakenuphisstandbeforethemandwasregardingthemwhiletheywereregardingtheroom。
Hehadthrownasidehishatandridhimselfofhisovercoat，andthefearlessnessofhisaspectseemedtodauntthehithertodauntlessSweetwater，who，forthefirsttimeinhislife，perhaps，huntedinvainforwordswithwhichtostartconversation。
Hadhemadeanawfulmistake?WasthisMr。Dunnwhatheseemedanunknownandcarefulgenius，battlingwithgreatoddsinhishoneststruggletogivetheworldsomethingofvalueinreturnforwhatithadgivenhim?Thequick，almostdeprecatoryglancehedartedatGeorgebetrayedhisdismay；adismaywhichGeorgehadbeguntoshare，notwithstandinghisgrowingbeliefthattheman’sfacewasnotwhollyunknowntohimevenifhecouldnotrecogniseitastheonehehadseenoutsidetheClermont。”Youseemtohaveforgottenyourerrand，”cameinquiet，ifnotgood-natured，sarcasmfromtheirpatientlywaitinghost。”It’stheroom，”mutteredSweetwater，withanattemptathisold-timeeasewhichwasnotasfullysuccessfulasusual。”Whatanall-firedgeniusyoumustbe。Ineversawthelike。Andinatenementhousetoo！YououghttobeinoneofthosebignewstudiobuildingsinNewYorkwhereartistsbeandeverythingyouseeisbeautiful。You’dappreciateit，youwould。”
Thedetectivestarted，Georgestarted，atthegleamwhichansweredhimfromaveryuncommoneye。Itwasatemporaryflash，however，andquicklyveiled，andthetoneinwhichthisDunnnowspokewasanythingbutanencouragingone。”Ithoughtyouweredesirousofjoiningasocialisticfraternity，”
saidhe；”atrueaspirantforsuchhonoursdon’tcareforbeautifulthingsunlessallcanhavethem。Iprefermytenement。Howisitwithyou，friends?”
Sweetwaterfoundsomesortofareply，thoughthethingwhichthismannowdidmusthavestartledhim，asitcertainlydidGeorge。
Theyweresogroupedthatatablequitefullofanomalousobjectsstoodatthebackoftheirhost，andconsequentlyquitebeyondtheirownreach。AsSweetwaterbegantospeak，hewhomhehadaddressedbythenameofDunn，drewapistolfromhisbreastpocketandlaiditdownbarreltowardsthemonthistabletop。Thenhelookedupcourteouslyenough，andlistenedtillSweetwaterwasdone。Averyhandsomeman，butonenottobetrifledwithintheslightestdegree。
Bothrecognisedthisfact，andGeorge，forone，begantoedgetowardsthedoor。”NowIfeeleasier，”remarkedthegiant，swellingouthischest。
Hewasunusuallytall，aswellasunusuallymuscular。”Ineverliketocarryarms；butsometimesitisunavoidable。Damnit，whathands！”Hewaslookingathisown，whichcertainlyshowedsoil。”Willyoupardonme?”hepleasantlyapologised，steppingtowardsawashstandandplunginghishandsintothebasin。”Icannotthinkwithdirtonmelikethat。Humph，hey！didyouspeak?”
HeturnedquicklyonGeorgewhohadcertainlyutteredanejaculation，butreceivingnoreply，wentonwithhistask，completingitwithacareandadisregardoftheirpresencewhichshowedhimupinstillanotherlight。
Butevenhishardihoodshowedshock，when，uponturningroundwithabrisk，”NowI’mreadytotalk，”heencounteredagainthecleareyeofSweetwater。For，inthepersonofthisnonetoowelcomeintruder，hesawaverydifferentmanfromtheoneuponwhomhehadjustturnedhisbackwithsolittleceremony；andthereappearedtobenogoodreasonforthechange。Hehadnotnotedinhispreoccupation，howGeorge，atsightofhisstoopingfigure，hadmadeasuddensignificantmovement，andifhehad，thepullingofanecktiestraight，wouldhavemeantnothingtohim。ButtoSweetwateritmeanteverything，anditwasinthetoneofonefullyateasewithhimselfthathenowdrylyremarked：Mr。Brotherson，ifyoufeelquiteclean；andifyouhavesufficientlywarmedyourself，I
wouldsuggestthatwestartoutatonce，unlessyouprefertohavemesharethisroomwithyoutillthemorning。”
Therewassilence。Mr。Dunnthusaddressedattemptednoanswer；notforafullminute。Thetwomenweremeasuringeachother-Georgefeltthathedidnotcountatall-andtheywerequitetoomuchoccupiedwiththistasktoheedthepassageoftime。ToGeorge，whoknewlittle，ifanything，ofwhatthissilentstrugglemeanttoeither，itseemedthatthedetectivestoodnoshowbeforethisSamsonofphysicalstrengthandintellectualpower，backedbyapistoljustwithinreachofhishand。ButasGeorgecontinuedtolookandsawthefigureofthesmallermangraduallydilate，whilethatofthelarger，themorepotentandthebetterguarded，gaveunmistakablesignsofsecretwavering，heslowlychangedhismindand，ranginghimselfwiththedetective，waitedforthewordorwordswhichshouldexplainthissituationandrenderintelligiblethetriumphgraduallybecomingvisibleintheyoungdetective’seyes。
Buthewasnotdestinedtohavehiscuriositysatisfiedsofar。Hemightwitnessandhear，butitwaslongbeforeheunderstood。”Brotherson?”repeatedtheirhost，afterthesilencehadlastedtothebreaking-point。”Whydoyoucallmethat?””Becauseitisyourname。””YoucalledmeDunnaminuteago。””Thatistrue。””WhyDunnifBrothersonismyname?””BecauseyouspokeunderthenameofDunnatthemeetingto-night，andifIdon’tmistake，thatisthenamebywhichyouareknownhere。””Andyou?Bywhatnameareyouknown?””Itislatetoask，isn’tit?ButI’mwillingtospeakitnow，andImightnothavebeensoalittleearlierinourconversation。I
amDetectiveSweetwateroftheNewYorkDepartmentofPolice，andmyerrandhereisaverysimpleone。SomeletterssignedbyyouhavebeenfoundamongthepapersoftheladywhosemysteriousdeathatthehotelClermontisjustnowoccupyingtheattentionoftheNewYorkauthorities。Ifyouhaveanyinformationtogivewhichwillinanywayexplainthatdeath，yourpresencewillbewelcomeatCoronerHeath’sofficeinNewYork。Ifyouhavenot，yourpresencewillstillbewelcome。Atallevents，Iwastoldtobringyou。Youwillbeonhandtoaccompanymeinthemorning，Iamquitesure，pardoningtheunconventionalmeansIhavetakentomakesureofmyman?”
Thehumourwithwhichthiswassaidseemedtorobitofanythinglikeattack，andMr。Brotherson，asweshallhereaftercallhim，smiledwithanoddacceptanceofthesame，asheresponded：”Iwillgobeforethepolicecertainly。Ihaven’tmuchtotell，butwhatIhaveisattheirservice。Itwillnothelpyou，butI
havenosecrets。Whatareyoudoing?”
HeboundedtowardsSweetwater，whohadsimplysteppedtothewindow，liftedtheshadeandlookedacrossattheopposingtenement。”Iwantedtoseeifitwasstillsnowing，”explainedthedetective，withasmile，whichseemedtostriketheotherlikeablow。”Ifitwasaliberty，pleasepardonit。”
Mr。Brothersondrewback。Thecoldairofselfpossessionwhichhenowassumed，presentedsuchacontrasttotheunwarrantedheatofthemomentbeforethatGeorgewonderedgreatlyoverit，andlater，whenherecapitulatedtomethewholestoryofthisnight，itwasthisincidentoftheliftedshade，togetherwiththeemotionithadcaused，whichheacknowledgedasbeingforhimthemostinexplicableeventoftheeveningandtheonehewasmostanxioustohearexplained。
Asthisendsourconnectionwiththisaffair，Iwillbidyoumypersonalfarewell。Ihaveoftenwishedthatcircumstanceshadmadeitpossibleformetoaccompanyyouthroughtheremainingintricaciesofthisremarkablecase。
Butyouwillnotlackasuitableguide。