In his opinion the man had been stabbed a considerable time — perhaps ten minutes or more — before he had collapsed as the people in front moved away. In a squash like that he would be held up and moved along by the crowd. In fact, it would have been a sheer impossibility to fall if one had wanted to in such a closely packed mob. He thought it highly unlikely that the man was even aware that he had been struck. So much pressing and squeezing and involuntary hurting went on on these occasions that a sudden and not too painful blow would not be noticed.

"And about the person who stabbed him? Anything peculiar about the stabbing?"

"No, except that the man was strong and left-handed."

"Not a woman?"

"No, it would need more strength than a woman has to drive the blade in as it has been driven. You see, there was no room for a backsweep of the arm. The blow had to be delivered from a position of rest. Oh no, it was a man's work. And a determined man's, too."

"Can you tell me anything about the dead man himself?" asked Grant, who liked to hear a scientific opinion on any subject.

"Not much. Well nourished — prosperous, I should say."

"Intelligent?"

"Yes, very, I should think."

"What type?"

"What type of occupation, do you mean?"

"No, I can deduce that for myself. What type of — temperament, I suppose you'd call it?"

"Oh, I See." The surgeon thought for a moment. He looked doubtfully at his interlocutor. "Well, no one can say that for a certainty — you understand that?" And when Grant had acknowledged the qualification: "but I should call him one of the 'lost cause' type." He raised his eyebrows interrogatively at the inspector and, assured of his understanding, added, "He had practical enough qualities in his face, but his hands were a dreamer's. You'll see for yourself."

Together they viewed the body. It was that of a young man of twenty-nine or thirty, fair-haired, hazel-eyed, slim, and of medium height. The hands, as the doctor had pointed out, were long and slim and not used to manual work. "Probably stood a lot," said the surgeon with a glance at the man's feet. "And walked with his left toe turned in."