I had sprung for the poker, and it was a fair fight between us.
See here on my arm where his first blow fell. Then it was my
turn, and I went through him as if he had been a rotten pumpkin.
Do you think I was sorry? Not I! It was his life or mine,
but far more than that it was his life or hers, for how could I
leave her in the power of this madman? That was how I killed him.
Was I wrong? Well, then, what would either of you gentlemen
have done if you had been in my position?"
"She had screamed when he struck her, and that brought old
Theresa down from the room above. There was a bottle of wine
on the sideboard, and I opened it and poured a little between
Mary's lips, for she was half dead with the shock. Then I took
a drop myself. Theresa was as cool as ice, and it was her plot
as much as mine. We must make it appear that burglars had done
the thing. Theresa kept on repeating our story to her mistress,
while I swarmed up and cut the rope of the bell. Then I lashed
her in her chair, and frayed out the end of the rope to make it
look natural, else they would wonder how in the world a burglar
could have got up there to cut it.
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