detective。
  〃The　morning　after　the　murder　was　committed　I　made　a　most　careful
  examination　of　the　premises；　particularly　of　the　grounds　near　the
  eastern　window。　　As　the　result　of　my　observations；　I　informed　Miss
  Darrow　that　I　had　reason　to　believe　that　her　father　had　been　murdered
  by　a　person　who　had　some　good　motive　for　concealing　his　footprints；
  and　who　also　had　a　halting　gait。　　The　weight　of　this　person　I　was
  able　to　estimate　at　not　far　from　one　hundred　and　thirty…five　pounds；
  and　his　height　as　about　five　feet　and　five　inches。　　I　also　stated　it
  as　my　opinion　that　the　person　who　did　the　deed　had　the　habit　of
  biting　his　finger　nails；　and　a　particular　reason　for　sparing　the
  nail　of　the　little　finger　and　permitting　it　to　grow　to　an　abnormal
  length。　　This　was　not　guesswork　on　my　part；　for　in　the　soft　soil
  beneath　the　eastern　window　I　found　a　perfect　impression　of　a　closed
  hand。　　Here　is　the　cast　of　that　hand。　　Look　well　at　it。　　Notice　the
  wart　upon　the　upper　joint　of　the　thumb；　and　the　crook　in　the　third
  finger　where　it　has　evidently　been　broken。　　M。　Godin　says　he　never
  entered　the　yard　of　the　Darrow　estate；　except　on　the　night　of　the
  murder　in　company　with　Messrs。　Osborne　and　Allen；　and　that　then　he
  merely　passed　up　and　down　the　front　walk　on　his　way　to　and　from　the
  house；　yet　the　paint…mark　on　this　slip　of　glass　was　made　by　his
  thumb；　and　the　glass　itself　was　cut　by　me　from　the　eastern　window
  of　the　Darrow　house　…　the　window　through　which　the　murder　was
  committed。　　This　plaster　cast　was　taken　from　an　impression　in　the
  soil　beneath　the　same　window　on　the　morning　after　the　murder。　　The
  hand　is　the　hand　of　M。　Godin。　　You　will　note　that　one　of　this
  gentleman's　feet　is　deformed　and　that　he　habitually　halts　in　his
  walk。〃
  We　all　glanced　at　M。　Godin　to　verify　these　assertions；　but　that
  gentleman　folded　his　arms　in　a　way　to　conceal　his　hands　and　thrust
  his　feet　out　of　sight　beneath　the　chair　in　front　of　him；　while　he
  smiled　at　us　with　the　utmost　apparent　good　nature。　　He　would　be
  game　to　the　last；　there　was　no　doubt　of　that。
  Maitland　recalled　our　attention　by　saying：
  〃Officer；　you　will　please　arrest　M。　Godin！〃
  An　excited　whisper　was　heard　from　every　corner；　and　many　were　the
  half…audible　comments　that　were　broken　off　by　the　imperative　fall
  of　the　crier's　gavel。　　So　tense　had　been　the　strain　that　it　was　some
  time　before　complete　order　could　be　restored。　　When　it　was　again
  quiet　Maitland　continued：
  〃Your　Honour　and　Gentlemen　of　the　Jury：　We　will　rest　our　case　here
  for　to…day。　　To…morrow；　or　rather　on　Monday；　we　shall　show　the
  strange　influence　which　M。　Godin　exercised　over　M。　Latour；　as　well
  as　M。　Latour's　reasons　for　his　confession。　　We　shall　endeavour　to
  make　clear　to　you　how　M。　Latour　was　actually　led　to　believe　he　had
  murdered　John　Darrow；　and　how　he　was　bribed　to　confess　a　crime=20
  committed　by　another。　　Of　the　hypnotic　power　of　M。　Godin　over　M。
  Latour　I　have　indisputable　proof；　though　we　shall　see　that　M。　Godin
  by　no　means　relied　wholly　upon　this　power。　　We　shall　show　you　also
  that　sufficient　time　elapsed　to　enable　M。　Godin；　by　great　skill
  and　celerity；　to　make　away　with　the　evidences　of　his　guilt　in　time
  to　enable　him　to　be　present　with　Messrs。　Osborne　and　Allen　at　the
  examination。　　In　short；　we　shall　unravel　before　you　a　crime　which；
  for　cleverness　of　conception　and　adroitness　of　execution；　has　never
  been　equalled　in　the　history　of　this　community。〃
  Maitland　having　thus　concluded　his　remarks　by　dropping　into　a
  courteous　plural　in　deference　to　Mr。　Jenkins；　the　court　adjourned
  until　Monday；　and　I　left　Gwen　in　Maitland's　charge　while　I　hurried
  home；　fearful　lest　I　should　not　be　the　first　to　bring　to　Jeannette
  the　glad　news　of　her　father's　innocence；　for　I　had　not　the　slightest
  doubt　of　Maitland's　ability　to　prove　conclusively　all　he　had
  undertaken。
  I　need　not　describe　to　you　my　interview　with　Jeannette。　　There　are
  things　concerning　it　which；　even　at　this　late　day；　when　their
  roseate　hue　glows　but　dimly　in　the　blue　retrospect　of　the　past；　…　it
  would　seem　sacrilege　for　me　to　mention　to　another。　　Believe　me；　I　am
  perfectly　aware　of　your　inquisitive　nature；　and　I　know　that　this
  omission　may　nettle　you。　　Charge　it　all　up；　then；　to　the　perversity
  of　a　bachelor　in　the　throes　of　his　first；　last；　and　only　love
  experience。　　You　must　see　that　such　things　cannot　be　conveyed　to
  another　with　anything　like　their　real　significance。　　Were　I　to　say
  I　was　carried　beyond　myself　by　her　protestations　of　gratitude　until；
  in　a　delirium　of　joy；　I　seized　her　in　my　arms　and　covered　her　with
  kisses；　do　you　for　a　moment　fancy　you　could　appreciate　my　feelings？
  Do　you　imagine　that　the　little　tingle　of　sympathy　which　you　might
  experience　were　I　to　say　that；　instead　of　pushing　me　from　her；　I
  felt　her　clasp　tighten　about　me；　…　would　tell　you　anything　of　the
  great　torrent　of　hot　blood　that　deluged　my　heart　as　she　lay　there
  in　my　arms；　quivering　ecstatically　at　every　kiss？　　No！　　a　thousand
  times　no！　　Therefore　have　I　thought　best　to　say　nothing　about　it。
  Our　love　can　keep　its　own　secrets。　…　But　alas！　　this　was　long　ago；
  and　as　I　sit　here　alone　writing　this　to　you；　I　cannot　but　wonder；
  with　a　heavy　sense　of　ever…present　longing；　where　on　this　great
  earth　Jeannette　…　'my　Jeannette；'　I　have　learned　to　call　her　…　is
  now。　　You　see　a　bachelor's　love…affair　is　a　serious　thing；　and　years
  cannot　always　efface　it。　　But　to　return　to　the　past：
  Jeannette；　I　think；　was　not　more　pleased　than　Gwen　at　the　turn
  affairs　had　taken。　　Indeed；　so　exuberant　was　Gwen　in　her　quiet　way
  that　I　marvelled　much　at　the　change　in　her；　so　much；　indeed；　that
  finally　I　determined　to　question　Alice　about　it。
  〃I　can　understand；〃　I　said　to　her；　〃why　Gwen；　on　account　of　her
  sympathy　and　love　for　Jeannette；　should　be　glad　that　M。　Latour　is
  likely　to　be　acquitted。　　I　can　also　appreciate　the　distaste　she　may
  have　felt　at　the　prospect　of　having　to　deal　with　M。　Godin　under　the
  terms　of　her　father's　will；　but　even　both　of　these　considerations
  seem　to　me　insufficient　to　account　for　her　present　almost　ecstatic
  condition。　　There　is　an　immediateness　to　her　joy　which　could　hardly
  result　from　mere　release　from　a　future　disagreeable　possibility。
  How　do　you　account　for　it；　sis？〃　　Alice's　answer　was　somewhat
  enigmatical　and　didn't　give　me　the　information　I　sought。　　〃Ned；〃
  she　replied；〃　I'll　pay　for　the　tickets　to　the　first　circus　that
  comes　here；　just　to　see　if　you　can　find　the　trunks　on　the　elephants。〃
  Do　my　best；　I　couldn't　make　her　enlighten　me　any　further；　for；　to
  every　question；　she　replied　with　a　most　provoking　laugh。
  Maitland　called　and　spent　most　of　the　next　day；　which　was　Sunday；
  with　us；　and　we　all　talked　matters　over。　　He　did　not　seem　either
  to　share　or　understand　Gwen's　exuberance　of　spirits；　albeit　one
  could　easily　observe　that　he　had　a　measure　of　that　satisfaction
  which　always　comes　from　success。　　More　than　once　I　saw　him　glance
  questioningly　at　Gwen　with　a　look　which　said　plainly　enough：　〃What
  is　the　meaning　of　this　remarkable　change？　　Why　should　it　so　matter
  to　her　whether　M。　Latour's　or　M。　Godin's　death　avenges　her　father's
  murder？〃　　When　he　left　us　at　night　I　could　see　he　had　not　answered
  that　question　to　his　own　satisfaction。
  CHAPTER　III
  The　Devil　throws　double　sixes　when　he　turns　genius　heliward。
  The　next　morning　after　the　events　last　narrated　I　was　utterly
  dumfounded　by　an　article　which　met　my　gaze　the　instant　I　took　up
  my　paper。　　It　was　several　moments　before　I　sufficiently　recovered
  my　faculties　to　read　it　aloud　to　Gwen；　Alice；　and　Jeannette；　all
  of　whom　had　noticed　my　excitement；　and　were　waiting　with　such
  patience　as　they　could　command。　　I　read　the　following　article
  through　from　beginning　to　end　without　pause　or　comment：
  M。　Godin　Anticipates　the　Law。　…　The　Real　Murderer　of　John　Darrow
  Writes　His　Confession　and　Then　Suicides　in　His　Cell。　…　Contrived
  to　Mix　His　Own　Poison　Under　the　Very　Nose　of　His　Jailer！　　…=20
  The　Dorchester　Mystery　Solved　at　Last。　…　Full　Description　of　the
  Life　of　One　of　the　Cleverest　Criminals　of　the　Century。
  At　4。30　this　morning　M。　Godin　was　found　dead　in　his　cell；　No。　26；　at
  Charles　Street　Jail。　　The　manner　of　his　death　might　still　be　a
  mystery　had　he　not　left　a　written　confession　of　his　crime　and　the
  summary　manner　of　his　taking　off。　　This　was　written　yesterday
  afternoon　and　evening；　M。　Godin　being　permitted　to　have　a　light　on
  the　ground　that　he　had　important　legal　documents　to　prepare　for　use
  on　the　morrow。　　We　give　below　the　confession　in　full。
  〃I　am　beaten　at　a　game　in　which　I　did　my　own　shuffling。　　I　never
  believe　in　trying　to　bluff　a　full　hand。　　Had　I　had　but　ordinary
  detectives　with　whom　to　deal；　I　make　bold　to　say　I　should　have　come
  off　rich　and　triumphant。　　'I　had　no　means　of　knowing　that　I　was　to
  play　with　a　chemist　who　would　use　against　me　the　latest　scientific
  implements　of　criminal　warfare。　　It　is；　therefore；　to　the
  extraordinary　means　used　for　my　detection　that　I　impute　my　defeat；
  rather　than　to　any　bungling　of　my　own。　　This　is　a　grim　consolation；
  but　it　is　still　a　consolation；　for　I　have　always　prided　myself　upon
  being　an　artist　in　my　line。　　As　I　propos