He told me that he had stayed at this house over twenty years ago, on his way to Australia--that, of course, was long before we took it.

And he signed his name in the book as John Marbury." "We'll look at that, if you please," said Rathbury.
Walters fetched in the register and turned the leaf to the previous day's entries.

They all bent over the dead man's writing.
"'John Marbury, Coolumbidgee, New South Wales,'" said Rathbury.
"Ah--now I was wondering if that writing would be the same as that on the scrap of paper, Mr.Breton.But, you see, it isn't--it's quite different." "Quite different," said Breton.

He, too, was regarding the handwriting with great interest.

And Rathbury noticed his keen inspection of it, and asked another question.
"Ever seen that writing before ?" he suggested.
"Never," answered Breton.