a secret. To-night, the 22nd of
September, I received his answer promising that he would come. Therefore
I can look upon everything that is to happen, as having already
happened, for now there need be no further change in my plans. I will
send this letter this evening to my friend Pernburg in Frankfurt am
Main. In case anything should happen that would render impossible for
me to carry out my plans, I will send Pernburg another letter asking him
not to carry out the instructions of the first.

I can now proceed to tell you what will happen here to-morrow evening,
the 23rd of September.

Albert Graumann will come to me, unknown to his family or friends, as I
have asked him to come. I will so arrange it that the old servant will
see him come in but will not see him go out. My landlady will not be in
my way, for she has already told me that she will spend the night of
the 23rd with her mother, in another part of the city. It is to be a
birthday celebration I believe, so that I can be certain her plans will
not be changed.

Graumann and I will be alone, therefore, with no reliable witnesses
near. I will keep him there for a little while with commonplace
conversation, for I have nothing to say to him. If he moves near the
desk I will upset the inkbottle. The spots on his clothes will be
another evidence against him. I will endeavour to get him to keep my
jewelry which is, as you know, of considerable value. I will tell him
that I am going away for a while and ask him to take charge of it for
me. I, myself, will take him down to the door and let him out, when I
have satisfied myself that the old servant is in bed or at least at the
back of the house. The revolver which shall end my misery is Graumann's
property. I took it from its place without his knowledge.

The 10,000 gulden which I told my landlady were still in the house,
and which would therefore be thought missing after my death, I have
deposited in a bank in Frankfort in your name. Here is the certificate
of deposit.

I will endeavour not to hold the revolver sufficiently close to have the
powder burn my clothes. And I will exert every effort of mind and body
to throw it far from me after I have fired the fatal shot. I think that
I will be able to do this, for I am a very good shot and I have no
fear of death. One thing more I will do, to turn aside all suspicion
of suicide. I will write a letter to some person who does not exist, a
letter which will make it app