To me his case seems as hopeless a one as it is possible to conceive.

One doesn't like to condemn him, but yet his innocence seems almost unthinkable." "It does certainly look like a hopeless case," Thorndyke agreed, "and I see no way out of it at present.

But I make it a rule, in all cases, to proceed on the strictly classical lines of inductive inquiry--collect facts, make hypotheses, test them and seek for verification.

And I always endeavour to keep a perfectly open mind.
"Now, in the present case, assuming, as we must, that the robbery has actually taken place, there are four conceivable hypotheses: (1) that the robbery was committed by Reuben Hornby; (2) that it was committed by Walter Hornby; (3) that it was committed by John Hornby, or (4) that it was committed by some other person or persons.
"The last hypothesis I propose to disregard for the present and confine myself to the examination of the other three." "You don't think it possible that Mr.Hornby could have stolen the diamonds out of his own safe ?" I exclaimed.
"I incline at present to no one theory of the matter," replied Thorndyke.

"I merely state the hypotheses.