f his room was also open. The electric
light was burning. I went in. I at once saw my uncle--he
was lying between the desk and the hearth, quite dead.
There was a revolver lying near. I touched his hand and
found it was quite warm.

"'"I looked round, and seeing no sign of any struggle, I
concluded that my uncle had shot himself. I noticed that
his keys were lying on the desk. His fur-collared overcoat
and slouch hat were thrown on a sofa. Of course, I was
much upset. I went outside, meaning, I believe, to call
the caretaker. Everything was very still in the house. I
did not call. I began to think. I knew I was in a strange
position. I knew my uncle's death would make a vast
difference to me. I was next of kin. I wanted to know how
things stood--how I was left. Something suggested itself
to me. I think the overcoat and hat suggested it. I put on
the hat and coat, took the keys from the table, and the
latch-key of the Portman Square house from my uncle's
waistcoat pocket, turned out the light, went out, closed
both doors, went to the brougham, and was driven away. I
saw very well that the coachman didn't know me at all--he
thought I was his master.

"'"I have heard the evidence about my visit to Portman
Square. I stopped there some time. I made a fairly
complete search for a will and didn't find anything. It is
quite true that I used one of the glasses, and ate a
sandwich, and very likely I did bite into another. It's
true, too, that I have lost two front teeth, and that the
evidence of that could be in the sandwich. All that's
true--I admit it. It's also quite true that I got the
taxi-cab at two o'clock at the corner of Orchard Street
and drove back to Kensington. I re-entered the office;
everything was as I'd left it. I took off the coat and
hat, put the keys under some loose papers on the table,
turned out the light and went home to my flat.

"'"Now I wish to tell the absolute, honest truth about
Burchill and the will. When I heard of and saw the will,
after Mr. Tertius produced it, I went to see Burchill at
his flat. I had never seen him, never communicated with
him in any way whatever since he had left my uncle's
service until that afternoon. I had got his address from a
letter which I found in a pocket-book of my uncle's, which
I took p