Chapter I: Front Matter

The Bishop Murder Case

by S. S. Van Dine

published by Charles Scribner’s Sons (New York)

Copyright, 1929, by Charles Scribner’s Sons

Contents

I. “Who Killed Cock Robin?”
II. On the Archery Range
III. A Prophecy Recalled
IV. A Mysterious Note
V. A Woman’s Scream
VI. “‘I,’ Said the Sparrow”
VII. Vance Reaches a Conclusion
VIII. Act Two
IX. The Tensor Formula
X. A Refusal of Aid
XI. The Stolen Revolver
XII. A Midnight Call
XIII. In the Bishop’s Shadow
XIV. A Game of Chess
XV. An Interview with Pardee
XVI. Act Three
XVII. An All-Night Light
XVIII. The Wall in the Park
XIX. The Red Note-book
XX. The Nemesis
XXI. Mathematics and Murder
XXII. The House of Cards
XXIII. A Startling Discovery
XXIV. The Last Act
XXV. The Curtain Falls
XXVI. Heath Asks a Question

The Earth is a Temple where there is
going on a Mystery Play, childish and
poignant, ridiculous and awful enough
in all conscience.
—Conrad.

Characters of the Book

Philo Vance
John F.-X. Markham
District Attorney of New York County.
Ernest Heath
Sergeant of the Homicide Bureau.
Professor Bertrand Dillard
A famous physicist.
Belle Dillard
His niece.
Sigurd Arnesson
His adopted son: an associate professor of mathematics.
Pyne
The Dillard butler.
Beedle
The Dillard cook.
Adolph Drukker
Scientist and author.
Mrs. Otto Drukker
His mother.
Grete Menzel
The Drukker cook.
John Pardee
Mathematician and chess expert: inventor of the Pardee gambit.
J. C. Robin
Sportsman and champion archer.
Raymond Sperling
Civil Engineer.
John E. Sprigg
Senior at Columbia University.
Dr. Whitney Barstead
An eminent neurologist.
Quinan
Police Reporter of the _World_.
Madeleine Moffat
Chief Inspector O’Brien
Of the Police Department of New York City.
William M. Moran
Commanding Officer of the Detective Bureau.
Captain Pitts
Of the Homicide Bureau.
Guilfoyle
Detective of the Homicide Bureau.
Snitkin
Detective of the Homicide Bureau.
Hennessey
Detective of the Homicide Bureau.
Emery
Detective of the Homicide Bureau.
Burke
Detective of the Homicide Bureau.
Captain Dubois
Finger-print expert.
Dr. Emanuel Doremus
Medical Examiner.
Swacker
Secretary to the District Attorney.
Currie
Vance’s valet.