"
XXXI.
THE TWO PAPERS.
Darke had spoken in a low, dull, gloomy voice; and something like a
shudder had passed through his frame as he painted, in brief words, the
sombre scene. This emotion now seemed even to grow deeper. Was there
good left in this wild animal?
"That knife," he continued, "was very nearly the means of hanging an
innocent man. It belonged to a gentleman of the neighborhood who had
accidentally laid it on the table of the clerk's office, a few moments
before I, as accidentally, picked it up--and this gentleman had just
had angry words with--_him_--about a trifle. What made things worse was
that they had long been enemies--and when _he_ was found there, dead in
the bushes, next day, the owner of the knife found near the body was
arrested as the murderer.
"Well, he went to jail, and the trial was coming on soon. The evidence
against him was strong. He was the known enemy of--Mr. Conway. He had
quarrelled with him on that day, and his knife was found by--the
body--on which the money had not been touched. A robber, you see, would
have taken the money; as it was untouched the crime must have been
committed by a personal enemy. Who was that enemy? The prisoner--whose
name was Davenant!
"Well, the trial was near. I had gone back to the court-house on _that
day_, and was still hanging around the place.
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