A commissionnaire remains all night in a little lodge at the foot of the stairs, and is in the habit of making coffee at his spirit-lamp for any of the officials who may be working over time.
She explained that she was the commissionnaire's wife, who did the charing, and I gave her the order for the coffee.
It ended in a curving staircase, with the commissionnaire's lodge in the passage at the bottom.
I went down the stairs and into the hall, where I found the commissionnaire fast asleep in his box, with the kettle boiling furiously upon the spirit-lamp.
"The commissionnaire, seeing by my pale face that something was to be feared, had followed me upstairs.
"'Ah, that is only my wife,' cried the commissionnaire; 'has no one else passed?'
"'You're only wasting your time, sir, and every minute now is of importance,' cried the commissionnaire;
The charwomen are in the habit of taking off their boots at the commissionnaire's office, and putting on list slippers."
The only tangible fact was that the commissionnaire's wife-Mrs.
The commissionnaire and his wife have been examined in every way without any light being thrown upon the matter.
A few minutes elapsed, as you remember, before the sleepy commissionnaire drew your attention to the bell, and those were just enough to give the thief time to make his escape.