violator；　we　can　conceive；　and　thus　only　conceive；　the　struggle　of　so
  violent　and　so　obstinate　a　nature　as　to　have　left　the　'traces'
  apparent。
  〃And　again。　I　have　already　mentioned　the　suspicion　to　be　excited　by
  the　fact　that　the　articles　in　question　were　suffered　to　remain　at　all
  in　the　thicket　where　discovered。　It　seems　almost　impossible　that
  these　evidences　of　guilt　should　have　been　accidentally　left　where
  found。　There　was　sufficient　presence　of　mind　（it　is　supposed）　to
  remove　the　corpse；　and　yet　a　more　positive　evidence　than　the　corpse
  itself　（whose　features　might　have　been　quickly　obliterated　by　decay；）
  is　allowed　to　lie　conspicuously　in　the　scene　of　the　outrage　…　I
  allude　to　the　handkerchief　with　the　name　of　the　deceased。　If　this　was
  accident；　it　was　not　the　accident　of　a　gang。　We　can　imagine　it　only
  the　accident　of　an　individual。　Let　us　see。　An　individual　has
  committed　the　murder。　He　is　alone　with　the　ghost　of　the　departed。　He
  is　appalled　by　what　lies　motionless　before　him。　The　fury　of　his
  passion　is　over；　and　there　is　abundant　room　in　his　heart　for　the
  natural　awe　of　the　deed。　His　is　none　of　that　confidence　which　the
  presence　of　numbers　inevitably　inspires。　He　is　alone　with　the　dead。
  He　trembles　and　is　bewildered。　Yet　there　is　a　necessity　for　disposing
  of　the　corpse。　He　bears　it　to　the　river；　but　leaves　behind　him　the
  other　evidences　of　guilt；　for　it　is　difficult；　if　not　impossible　to
  carry　all　the　burthen　at　once；　and　it　will　be　easy　to　return　for　what
  is　left。　But　in　his　toilsome　journey　to　the　water　his　fears　redouble
  within　him。　The　sounds　of　life　encompass　his　path。　A　dozen　times　he
  hears　or　fancies　the　step　of　an　observer。　Even　the　very　lights　from
  the　city　bewilder　him。　Yet；　in　time　and　by　long　and　frequent　pauses
  of　deep　agony；　he　reaches　the　river's　brink；　and　disposes　of　his
  ghastly　charge　…　perhaps　through　the　medium　of　a　boat。　But　now　what
  treasure　does　the　world　hold　…　what　threat　of　vengeance　could　it　hold
  out　…　which　would　have　power　to　urge　the　return　of　that　lonely
  murderer　over　that　toilsome　and　perilous　path；　to　the　thicket　and　its
  blood　chilling　recollections？　He　returns　not；　let　the　consequences　be
  what　they　may。　He　could　not　return　if　he　would。　His　sole　thought　is
  immediate　escape。　He　turns　his　back　forever　upon　those　dreadful
  shrubberies　and　flees　as　from　the　wrath　to　come。
  〃But　how　with　a　gang？　Their　number　would　have　inspired　them　with
  confidence；　if；　indeed　confidence　is　ever　wanting　in　the　breast　of
  the　arrant　blackguard；　and　of　arrant　blackguards　alone　are　the
  supposed　gangs　ever　constituted。　Their　number；　I　say；　would　have
  prevented　the　bewildering　and　unreasoning　terror　which　I　have
  imagined　to　paralyze　the　single　man。　Could　we　suppose　an　oversight　in
  one；　or　two；　or　three；　this　oversight　would　have　been　remedied　by　a
  fourth。　They　would　have　left　nothing　behind　them；　for　their　number
  would　have　enabled　them　to　carry　all　at　once。　There　would　have　been
  no　need　of　return。
  〃Consider　now　the　circumstance　that　in　the　outer　garment　of　the
  corpse　when　found；　'a　slip；　about　a　foot　wide　had　been　torn　upward
  from　the　bottom　hem　to　the　waist　wound　three　times　round　the　waist；
  and　secured　by　a　sort　of　hitch　in　the　back。'　This　was　done　with　the
  obvious　design　of　affording　a　handle　by　which　to　carry　the　body。　But
  would　any　number　of　men　hare　dreamed　of　resorting　to　such　an
  expedient？　To　three　or　four；　the　limbs　of　the　corpse　would　have
  afforded　not　only　a　sufficient；　but　the　best　possible　hold。　The
  device　is　that　of　a　single　individual；　and　this　brings　us　to　the　fact
  that　'between　the　thicket　and　the　river；　the　rails　of　the　fences　were
  found　taken　down；　and　the　ground　bore　evident　traces　of　some　heavy
  burden　having　been　dragged　along　it！'　But　would　a　number　of　men　have
  put　themselves　to　the　superfluous　trouble　of　taking　down　a　fence；　for
  the　purpose　of　dragging　through　it　a　corpse　which　they　might　have
  lifted　over　any　fence　in　an　instant？　Would　a　number　of　men　have　so
  dragged　a　corpse　at　all　as　to　have　left　evident　traces　of　the
  dragging？
  〃And　here　we　must　refer　to　an　observation　of　Le　Commerciel；　an
  observation　upon　which　I　have　already；　in　some　measure；　commented。　'A
  piece；'　says　this　journal；　'of　one　of　the　unfortunate　girl's
  petticoats　was　torn　out　and　tied　under　her　chin；　and　around　the　back
  of　her　head；　probably　to　prevent　screams。　This　was　done　by　fellows
  who　had　no　pocket…handkerchiefs。'
  〃I　have　before　suggested　that　a　genuine　blackguard　is　never　without　a
  pocket…handkerchief。　But　it　is　not　to　this　fact　that　I　now　especially
  advert。　That　it　was　not　through　want　of　a　handkerchief　for　the
  purpose　imagined　by　Le　Commerciel；　that　this　bandage　was　employed；　is
  rendered　apparent　by　the　handkerchief　left　in　the　thicket；　and　that
  the　object　was　not　'to　prevent　screams'　appears；　also；　from　the
  bandage　having　been　employed　in　preference　to　what　would　so　much
  better　have　answered　the　purpose。　But　the　language　of　the　evidence
  speaks　of　the　strip　in　question　as　'found　around　the　neck；　fitting
  loosely；　and　secured　with　a　hard　knot。'　These　words　are　sufficiently
  vague；　but　differ　materially　from　those　of　Le　Commerciel。　The　slip
  was　eighteen　inches　wide；　and　therefore；　although　of　muslin；　would
  form　a　strong　band　when　folded　or　rumpled　longitudinally。　And　thus
  rumpled　it　was　discovered。　My　inference　is　this。　The　solitary
  murderer；　having　borne　the　corpse；　for　some　distance；　（whether　from
  the　thicket　or　elsewhere）　by　means　of　the　bandage　hitched　around　its
  middle；　found　the　weight；　in　this　mode　of　procedure；　too　much　for　his
  strength。　He　resolved　to　drag　the　burthen　…　the　evidence　goes　to　show
  that　it　wasdragged。　With　this　object　in　view；　it　became　necessary　to
  attach　something　like　a　rope　to　one　of　the　extremities。　It　could　be
  best　attached　about　the　neck；　where　the　head　would　prevent　its
  slipping　off。　And；　now；　the　murderer　bethought　him；　unquestionably；
  of　the　bandage　about　the　loins。　He　would　have　used　this；　but　for　its
  volution　about　the　corpse；　the　hitch　which　embarrassed　it；　and　the
  reflection　that　it　had　not　been　'torn　off'　from　the　garment。　It　was
  easier　to　tear　a　new　slip　from　the　petticoat。　He　tore　it；　made　it
  fast　about　the　neck；　and　so　dragged　his　victim　to　the　brink　of　the
  river。　That　this　'bandage；'　only　attainable　with　trouble　and　delay；
  and　but　imperfectly　answering　its　purpose　…　that　this　bandage　was
  employed　at　all；　demonstrates　that　the　necessity　for　its　employment
  sprang　from　circumstances　arising　at　a　period　when　the　handkerchief
  was　no　longer　attainable　　that　is　to　say；　arising；　as　we　have
  imagined；　after　quitting　the　thicket；　（if　the　thicket　it　was）；　and　on
  the　road　between　the　thicket　and　the　river。
  〃But　the　evidence；　you　will　say；　of　Madame　Deluc；　（！）　points
  especially　to　the　presence　of　a　gang；　in　the　vicinity　of　the　thicket；
  at　or　about　the　epoch　of　the　murder。　This　I　grant。　I　doubt　if　there
  were　not　a　dozen　gangs；　such　as　described　by　Madame　Deluc；　in　and
  about　the　vicinity　of　the　Barri鑢e　du　Roule　at　or　about　the　period　of
  this　tragedy。　But　the　gang　which　has　drawn　upon　itself　the　pointed
  animadversion；　although　the　somewhat　tardy　and　very　suspicious
  evidence　of　Madame　Deluc；　is　the　only　gang　which　is　represented　by
  that　honest　and　scrupulous　old　lady　as　having　eaten　her　cakes　and
  swallowed　her　brandy；　without　putting　themselves　to　the　trouble　of
  making　her　payment。　Et　hinc　ill？ir？
  〃But　what　is　the　precise　evidence　of　Madame　Deluc？　'A　gang　of
  miscreants　made　their　appearance；　behaved　boisterously；　ate　and　drank
  without　making　payment；　followed　in　the　route　of　the　young　man　and
  girl；　returned　to　the　inn　about　dusk；　and　recrossed　the　river　as　if
  in　great　haste。'
  〃Now　this　'great　haste'　very　possibly　seemed　greater　haste　in　the
  eyes　of　Madame　Deluc；　since　she　dwelt　lingeringly　and　lamentingly
  upon　her　violated　cakes　and　ale　…　cakes　and　ale　for　which　she　might
  still　have　entertained　a　faint　hope　of　compensation。　Why；　otherwise；
  since　it　was　about　dusk；　should　she　make　a　point　of　the　haste？　It　is
  no　cause　for　wonder；　surely；　that　even　a　gang　of　blackguards　should
  make　haste　to　get　home；　when　a　wide　river　is　to　be　crossed　in　small
  boats；　when　storm　impends；　and　when　night　approaches。
  〃I　say　approaches；　for　the　night　had　not　yet　arrived。　It　was　only
  about　dusk　that　the　indecent　haste　of　these　'miscreants'　offended　the
  sober　eyes　of　Madame　Deluc。　But　we　are　told　that　it　was　upon　this
  very　evening　that　Madame　Deluc；　as　well　as　her　eldest　son；　'heard　the
  screams　of　a　female　in　the　vicinity　of　the　inn。'　And　in　what　words
  does　Madame　Deluc　designate　the　period　of　the　evening　at　which　these
  screams　were　heard？　'It　was　soon　after　dark；'　she　says。　But　'soon
  after　dark；'　is；　at　least；　dark；　and'about　dusk'　is　as　certainly
  daylight。　Thus　it　is　abundantly　clear　that　the　gang　quitted　the
  Barri鑢e　du　Roule　prior　to　the　screams　overheard　（？）　by　Madame　Deluc。
  And　although；　in　all　the　many　reports　of　the　evidence；　the　relative
  expressions　in　question　are　distinctly　and　invariably　employed　just
  as　I　have　employed　them　in　this　con