almost　conclusive　of　the　question。
  Sir　Arthur　was　of　course　examined；　his
  evidence　was　given　with　clearness　and
  unreserve；　which　seemed　calculated　to　silence
  all　suspicion。　He　stated　that；　up　to　the
  day　and　night　immediately　preceding　the
  catastrophe；　he　had　lost　to　a　heavy
  amount；　but　that；　at　their　last　sitting；　he
  had　not　only　won　back　his　original　loss；
  but　upwards　of　four　thousand　pounds　in
  addition；　in　evidence　of　which　he　produced
  an　acknowledgment　of　debt　to　that
  amount　in　the　handwriting　of　the　deceased；
  and　bearing　the　date　of　the　fatal　night。
  He　had　mentioned　the　circumstance　to　his
  lady；　and　in　presence　of　some　of　the
  domestics；　which　statement　was
  supported　by　THEIR　respective　evidence。
  One　of　the　jury　shrewdly　observed；　that
  the　circumstance　of　Mr。　Tisdall's　having
  sustained　so　heavy　a　loss　might　have
  suggested　to　some　ill…minded　persons
  accidentally　hearing　it；　the　plan　of　robbing
  him；　after　having　murdered　him　in　such　a
  manner　as　might　make　it　appear　that　he
  had　committed　suicide；　a　supposition
  which　was　strongly　supported　by　the
  razors　having　been　found　thus　displaced；
  and　removed　from　their　case。　Two　persons
  had　probably　been　engaged　in　the
  attempt；　one　watching　by　the　sleeping
  man；　and　ready　to　strike　him　in　case　of
  his　awakening　suddenly；　while　the　other
  was　procuring　the　razors　and　employed　in
  inflicting　the　fatal　gash；　so　as　to　make　it
  appear　to　have　been　the　act　of　the
  murdered　man　himself。　It　was　said　that
  while　the　juror　was　making　this　suggestion
  Sir　Arthur　changed　colour。
  Nothing；　however；　like　legal　evidence
  appeared　against　him；　and　the　consequence
  was　that　the　verdict　was　found　against　a
  person　or　persons　unknown；　and　for　some
  time　the　matter　was　suffered　to　rest；　until；
  after　about　five　months；　my　father
  received　a　letter　from　a　person　signing
  himself　Andrew　Collis；　and　representing
  himself　to　be　the　cousin　of　the　deceased。　This
  letter　stated　that　Sir　Arthur　was　likely　to
  incur　not　merely　suspicion；　but　personal
  risk；　unless　he　could　account　for　certain
  circumstances　connected　with　the　recent
  murder；　and　contained　a　copy　of　a　letter
  written　by　the　deceased；　and　bearing　date；
  the　day　of　the　week；　and　of　the　month；
  upon　the　night　of　which　the　deed　of　blood
  had　been　perpetrated。　Tisdall's　note　ran
  as　follows：
  'DEAR　COLLIS；
  'I　have　had　sharp　work　with　Sir
  Arthur；　he　tried　some　of　his　stale　tricks；
  but　soon　found　that　_I_　was　Yorkshire　too：
  it　would　not　doyou　understand　me。　We
  went　to　the　work　like　good　ones；　head；
  heart　and　soul；　and；　in　fact；　since　I　came
  here；　I　have　lost　no　time。　I　am　rather
  fagged；　but　I　am　sure　to　be　well　paid　for
  my　hardship；　I　never　want　sleep　so　long
  as　I　can　have　the　music　of　a　dice…box；　and
  wherewithal　to　pay　the　piper。　As　I　told
  you；　he　tried　some　of　his　queer　turns；　but
  I　foiled　him　like　a　man；　and；　in　return；
  gave　him　more　than　he　could　relish　of　the
  genuine　DEAD　KNOWLEDGE。
  'In　short；　I　have　plucked　the　old
  baronet　as　never　baronet　was　plucked　before；
  I　have　scarce　left　him　the　stump　of
  a　quill；　I　have　got　promissory　notes　in　his
  hand　to　the　amount　ofif　you　like　round
  numbers；　say；　thirty　thousand　pounds；
  safely　deposited　in　my　portable　strong…
  box；　alias　double…clasped　pocket…book。　I
  leave　this　ruinous　old　rat…hole　early　on　to…
  morrow；　for　two　reasonsfirst；　I　do　not
  want　to　play　with　Sir　Arthur　deeper　than
  I　think　his　security；　that　is；　his　money；　or
  his　money's　worth；　would　warrant；　and；
  secondly；　because　I　am　safer　a　hundred
  miles　from　Sir　Arthur　than　in　the　house
  with　him。　Look　you；　my　worthy；　I　tell
  you　this　between　ourselvesI　may　be
  wrong；　but；　by　G；　I　am　as　sure　as　that　I
  am　now　living；　that　Sir　A　attempted
  to　poison　me　last　night；　so　much　for　old
  friendship　on　both　sides。
  'When　I　won　the　last　stake；　a　heavy　one
  enough；　my　friend　leant　his　forehead　upon
  his　hands；　and　you'll　laugh　when　I　tell
  you　that　his　head　literally　smoked　like　a
  hot　dumpling。　I　do　not　know　whether　his
  agitation　was　produced　by　the　plan　which
  he　had　against　me；　or　by　his　having　lost　so
  heavilythough　it　must　be　allowed　that　he
  had　reason　to　be　a　little　funked；　whichever
  way　his　thoughts　went；　but　he　pulled　the
  bell；　and　ordered　two　bottles　of
  champagne。　While　the　fellow　was　bringing
  them　he　drew　out　a　promissory　note　to　the
  full　amount；　which　he　signed；　and；　as　the
  man　came　in　with　the　bottles　and　glasses；
  he　desired　him　to　be　off；　he　filled　out　a
  glass　for　me；　and；　while　he　thought　my
  eyes　were　off；　for　I　was　putting　up　his　note
  at　the　time；　he　dropped　something　slyly
  into　it；　no　doubt　to　sweeten　it；　but　I　saw
  it　all；　and；　when　he　handed　it　to　me；　I
  said；　with　an　emphasis　which　he　might　or
  might　not　understand：
  '　〃There　is　some　sediment　in　this；　I'll
  not　drink　it。〃
  '　〃Is　there？〃　said　he；　and　at　the　same
  time　snatched　it　from　my　hand　and　threw
  it　into　the　fire。　What　do　you　think　of
  that？　have　I　not　a　tender　chicken　to
  manage？　Win　or　lose；　I　will　not　play
  beyond　five　thousand　to…night；　and　to…
  morrow　sees　me　safe　out　of　the　reach　of
  Sir　Arthur's　champagne。　So；　all　things
  considered；　I　think　you　must　allow　that
  you　are　not　the　last　who　have　found　a
  knowing　boy　in
  'Yours　to　command；
  'HUGH　TISDALL。'
  Of　the　authenticity　of　this　document　I
  never　heard　my　father　express　a　doubt；
  and　I　am　satisfied　that；　owing　to　his
  strong　conviction　in　favour　of　his　brother；
  he　would　not　have　admitted　it　without
  sufficient　inquiry；　inasmuch　as　it　tended　to
  confirm　the　suspicions　which　already
  existed　to　his　prejudice。
  Now；　the　only　point　in　this　letter　which
  made　strongly　against　my　uncle；　was　the
  mention　of　the　'double…clasped　pocket…
  book'　as　the　receptacle　of　the　papers
  likely　to　involve　him；　for　this　pocket…book
  was　not　forthcoming；　nor　anywhere　to　be
  found；　nor　had　any　papers　referring　to　his
  gaming　transactions　been　found　upon　the
  dead　man。　However；　whatever　might　have
  been　the　original　intention　of　this　Collis；
  neither　my　uncle　nor　my　father　ever　heard
  more　of　him；　but　he　published　the　letter
  in　Faulkner's　newspaper；　which　was　shortly
  afterwards　made　the　vehicle　of　a　much
  more　mysterious　attack。　The　passage　in
  that　periodical　to　which　I　allude；　occurred
  about　four　years　afterwards；　and　while　the
  fatal　occurrence　was　still　fresh　in　public
  recollection。　It　commenced　by　a　rambling
  preface；　stating　that　'a　CERTAIN　PERSON
  whom　CERTAIN　persons　thought　to　be　dead；
  was　not　so；　but　living；　and　in　full　possession
  of　his　memory；　and　moreover　ready
  and　able　to　make　GREAT　delinquents
  tremble。'　It　then　went　on　to　describe　the
  murder；　without；　however；　mentioning
  names；　and　in　doing　so；　it　entered　into
  minute　and　circumstantial　particulars　of
  which　none　but　an　EYE…WITNESS　could　have
  been　possessed；　and　by　implications　almost
  too　unequivocal　to　be　regarded　in　the　light
  of　insinuation；　to　involve　the　'TITLED
  GAMBLER'　in　the　guilt　of　the　transaction。
  My　father　at　once　urged　Sir　Arthur　to
  proceed　against　the　paper　in　an　action　of
  libel；　but　he　would　not　hear　of　it；　nor
  consent　to　my　father's　taking　any　legal
  steps　whatever　in　the　matter。　My　father；
  however；　wrote　in　a　threatening　tone　to
  Faulkner；　demanding　a　surrender　of　the
  author　of　the　obnoxious　article。　The
  answer　to　this　application　is　still　in　my
  possession；　and　is　penned　in　an　apologetic
  tone：　it　states　that　the　manuscript　had
  been　handed　in；　paid　for；　and　inserted　as
  an　advertisement；　without　sufficient
  inquiry；　or　any　knowledge　as　to　whom　it
  referred。
  No　step；　however；　was　taken　to　clear
  my　uncle's　character　in　the　judgment　of
  the　public；　and　as　he　immediately　sold　a
  small　property；　the　application　of　the
  proceeds　of　which　was　known　to　none；　he
  was　said　to　have　disposed　of　it　to　enable
  himself　to　buy　off　the　threatened　information。
  However　the　truth　might　have　been；
  it　is　certain　that　no　charges　respecting　the
  mysterious　murder　were　afterwards　publicly
  made　against　my　uncle；　and；　as　far　as
  external　disturbances　were　concerned；　he
  enjoyed　henceforward　perfect　security　and
  quiet。
  A　deep　and　lasting　impression；　however；
  had　been　made　upon　the　public　mind；　and
  Sir　Arthur　Tn　was　no　longer　visited
  or　noticed　by　the　gentry　and　aristocracy　of
  the　county；　whose　attention　and　courtesies
  he　had　hitherto　received。　He　accordingly
  affected　to　despise　these　enjoyments　which
  he　could　not　procure；　and　shunned　even
  that　society　which　he　might　have　commanded。
  This　is　all　that　I　need　recapitulate　of　my
  uncle's　history；　and　I　now　recur　to　my　own。
  Although　my　father　had　never；　within　my
  recollection；　visited；　or　been　visited　by；　my
  uncle；　each　being　of　sedentary；　procrastinating；
  and　secluded　habits；　and　their　respective
  residences　being　very　far