Cruel As The Grave

My friends, I care not, (so much I am happy

Above a number,) if my actions

Were tried by every tongue, every eye saw them,

Envy and base opinion set against them,

To know my life so even.--SHAKSPEARE.

And first they went to Mrs. Blondelle's room, and carefully examined

every part of it, especially the fastenings of the doors and windows.

They all seemed to be right.

"I have a theory of this murder now!" said Mr. Berners, standing in the

middle of the room and speaking to the men who were with him.

"Humph! what is it?" coldly inquired old Judge Basham.

"It is this; that as Mrs. Blondelle was known to have possessed jewels

of great value, some miscreant came here with the intention to rob her

of them."

"Well, and what then?" asked the Judge.

"That this miscreant entered either by the outer door, or by one of

these windows, approached the bed of his victim, who, being awake and

seeing him, shrieked, either before or at the moment of receiving the

death wound, and then fainted."

"Humph! what next?" grunted the Judge.

"That first shriek brought my wife running to the rescue. At the sound

of her approach, of course the murderer turned and fled, escaping

through the outer door or window."

"An ingenious story, and a plausible explanation, Mr. Berners; but one,

I fear, that will never convince a jury, or satisfy the public,"

remarked Judge Basham.

"Nay, and it will na satisfy mysel' neither! It'll na do, gentlemen! The

murderer didna come through the outer door, nor the windows either! For

mysel' fastened them a' before I went to my bed! And yesel's found them

fastened when ye cam!" said the Scotch girl Janet, who had now entered

the room with the child in her arms.

"But he may have come through the door, my good girl," suggested Mr.

Berners, whose very blood seemed to freeze at this testimony of the

maid.

"Nay, nay, laird! that will na do either. The murderer could na hae come

by the outer door, for mysel' bolted it before I went to bed! And it was

still bolted when my puir leddy--Oh, my puir bonny leddy! oh! my puir

dear murdered mistress!" broke forth from the girl in sudden and violent

lamentations.

"Compose yourself, and tell us all about the bolted door," said Judge

Basham.

"Aweel, sir, the door was bolted by mysel', and bolted it stayed until

that puir leddy started out of her bed and tore the bolt back, and fled

away from before the face of her murderer! too late! oh, too late! for

she carried her death wound with her."

"So you see, Mr. Berners, your theory of the murder falls to pieces.

This girl's testimony proves that the murderer could not have entered

the room, from this floor," said Judge Basham.