第33章
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  piece,’saysthisjournal,’ofoneoftheunfortunategirl’spetticoatswastornoutandtiedunderherchin,andaroundthebackofherhead,probablytopreventscreams。Thiswasdonebyfellowswhohadnopocket-handkerchiefs。’

  “Ihavebeforesuggestedthatagenuineblackguardisneverwithoutapocket-handkerchief。ButitisnottothisfactthatInowespeciallyadvert。ThatitwasnotthroughwantofahandkerchiefforthepurposeimaginedbyLeCommerciel,thatthisbandagewasemployed,isrenderedapparentbythehandkerchiefleftinthethicket;andthattheobjectwasnot’topreventscreams’appears,also,fromthebandagehavingbeenemployedinpreferencetowhatwouldsomuchbetterhaveansweredthepurpose。Butthelanguageoftheevidencespeaksofthestripinquestionas’foundaroundtheneck,fittingloosely,andsecuredwithahardknot。’Thesewordsaresufficientlyvague,butdiffermateriallyfromthoseofLeCommerciel。Theslipwaseighteenincheswide,andtherefore,althoughofmuslin,wouldformastrongbandwhenfoldedorrumpledlongitudinally。Andthusrumpleditwasdiscovered。Myinferenceisthis。Thesolitarymurderer,havingbornethecorpse,forsomedistance,whetherfromthethicketorelsewherebymeansofthebandagehitchedarounditsmiddle,foundtheweight,inthismodeofprocedure,toomuchforhisstrength。Heresolvedtodragtheburthen-theevidencegoestoshowthatitwasdragged。Withthisobjectinview,itbecamenecessarytoattachsomethinglikearopetooneoftheextremities。Itcouldbebestattachedabouttheneck,wheretheheadwouldpreventitsslippingoff。And,now,themurdererbethoughthim,unquestionably,ofthebandageabouttheloins。Hewouldhaveusedthis,butforitsvolutionaboutthecorpse,thehitchwhichembarrassedit,andthereflectionthatithadnotbeen’tornoff’fromthegarment。Itwaseasiertotearanewslipfromthepetticoat。Hetoreit,madeitfastabouttheneck,andsodraggedhisvictimtothebrinkoftheriver。Thatthis’bandage,’onlyattainablewithtroubleanddelay,andbutimperfectlyansweringitspurpose-thatthisbandagewasemployedatall,demonstratesthatthenecessityforitsemploymentsprangfromcircumstancesarisingataperiodwhenthehandkerchiefwasnolongerattainablethatistosay,arising,aswehaveimagined,afterquittingthethicket,ifthethicketitwas,andontheroadbetweenthethicketandtheriver。

  “Buttheevidence,youwillsay,ofMadameDeluc,!pointsespeciallytothepresenceofagang,inthevicinityofthethicket,atorabouttheepochofthemurder。ThisIgrant。Idoubtiftherewerenotadozengangs,suchasdescribedbyMadameDeluc,inandaboutthevicinityoftheBarri鑢eduRouleatorabouttheperiodofthistragedy。Butthegangwhichhasdrawnuponitselfthepointedanimadversion,althoughthesomewhattardyandverysuspiciousevidenceofMadameDeluc,istheonlygangwhichisrepresentedbythathonestandscrupulousoldladyashavingeatenhercakesandswallowedherbrandy,withoutputtingthemselvestothetroubleofmakingherpayment。Ethincill?ir?

  “ButwhatisthepreciseevidenceofMadameDeluc?’Agangofmiscreantsmadetheirappearance,behavedboisterously,ateanddrankwithoutmakingpayment,followedintherouteoftheyoungmanandgirl,returnedtotheinnaboutdusk,andrecrossedtheriverasifingreathaste。’

  “Nowthis’greathaste’verypossiblyseemedgreaterhasteintheeyesofMadameDeluc,sinceshedweltlingeringlyandlamentinglyuponherviolatedcakesandale-cakesandaleforwhichshemightstillhaveentertainedafainthopeofcompensation。Why,otherwise,sinceitwasaboutdusk,shouldshemakeapointofthehaste?Itisnocauseforwonder,surely,thatevenagangofblackguardsshouldmakehastetogethome,whenawideriveristobecrossedinsmallboats,whenstormimpends,andwhennightapproaches。

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