acted in the room that night.

The duke gave him another small glass of brandy before he could revive
and continue.

"Heaven knows, though under strong temptation, not to say under
imperative necessity, I employed thieves and burglars, I was neither
a robber nor a murderer in intention. I wanted to get my own money,
withheld from me against my expressed desire--that was all. I do not say
this to extenuate my crime, but to let you know the exact truth. I cannot
dwell upon this part of the dreadful tale. You know already that the
thieves murdered Sir Lemuel Levison in his chamber. It seems that he
had not gone to bed, but had fallen asleep in his chair. He woke and
discovered them. He was instantly about to give the alarm, when he was
knocked senseless by Smith and killed by Murdockson. From the moment that
I heard the old man was dead, although I had not intended the awful
crime, I knew that I had actually occasioned it, and that the curse of
Cain was upon my head! I have not had a happy moment since. I fled the
country, and stayed abroad until I heard that my wretched companion,
Rose, was in trouble. Then I returned in disguise to see what was to
become of her, resolved to give myself up to justice, if it should be
necessary to vindicate her. But I found, by cautious inquiry, that she
had been admitted as crown's evidence on the trial of the valet Potts,
who was discharged from custody, on a verdict of 'Not Proven,' but that
she was in prison again, on the charge of perjury, for having sworn--what
she truly believed, by the way, poor wench--that the confederate of the
thieves who murdered Sir Lemuel Levison was no other than the young
Marquis of Arondelle. You were there, sir, and immediately proved an
alibi?"

"Yes," said the duke.

"Rose was thereupon committed for perjury. I found her in prison on that
charge when I returned to Scotland. I did not see her then. I was afraid
to show myself, especially as I knew the girl felt very bitterly toward
me, believing that I had willfully betrayed her into danger, when in
point of fact it was her own dishonesty that led to her arrest. Her
vanity tempted her to purloin and secrete a portion of the most valuable
jewels from the booty that had accidentally in the confusion of the
thieves' flight fallen into my hands along with the money that was my
own. I had intended, secretly to return the jewels upon the first
opportunity, but the unfortunate woman secreted them, and denie