Atlas Nightshade

Day 122

“The riddle, so far, was now unriddled. The assassin had escaped

through the window which looked upon the bed. Dropping of its own

accord upon his exit (or perhaps purposely closed), it had become

fastened by the spring; and it was the retention of this spring

which had been mistaken by the police for that of the

nail,—farther inquiry being thus considered unnecessary.

“The next question is that of the mode of descent. Upon this

point I had been satisfied in my walk with you around the

building. About five feet and a half from the casement in

question there runs a lightning-rod. From this rod it would have

been impossible for any one to reach the window itself, to say

nothing of entering it. I observed, however, that the shutters of

the fourth story were of the peculiar kind ca