m seated upon a chest with his head sunk upon
his hands, rocking himself to and fro. He is a big, powerful
chap, clean-shaven, and very swarthy--something like Aldridge,
who helped us in the bogus laundry affair. He jumped up when he
heard my business, and I had my whistle to my lips to call a
couple of river police, who were round the corner, but he
seemed to have no heart in him, and he held out his hands
quietly enough for the darbies. We brought him along to the
cells, and his box as well, for we thought there might be
something incriminating; but, bar a big sharp knife, such as
most sailors have, we got nothing for our trouble. However, we
find that we shall want no more evidence, for, on being brought
before the inspector at the station, he asked leave to make a
statement, which was, of course, taken down, just as he made
it, by our shorthand man. We had three copies type-written, one
of which I inclose. The affair proves, as I always thought it
would, to be an extremely simple one, but I am obliged to you
for assisting me in my investigation. With kind regards, yours
very truly,--G. LESTRADE."

"Hum! The investigation really was a very simple one," remarked Holmes;
"but I don't think it struck him in that light when he first called us
in. However, let us see what Jim Browner has to say for himself. This is
his statement, as made before Inspector Montgomery at the Shadwell
Police Station, and it has the advantage of being verbatim."

[Illustration: "HE HELD OUT HIS HANDS QUIETLY."]

"Have I anything to say? Yes, I have a deal to say. I have to make a
clean breast of it all. You can hang me, or you can leave me alone. I
don't care a plug which you do. I tell you I've not shut an eye in sleep
since I did it, and I don't believe I ever will again until I get past
all waking. Sometimes it's his face, but most generally it's hers. I'm
never without one or the other before me. He looks frowning and
black-like, but she has a kind o' surprise upon her face. Aye, the white
lamb, she might well be surprised when she read death on a face that had
seldom looked anything but love upon her before.

"But it was Sarah's fault, and may the curse of a broken man put a
blight on her and set the blood rotting in her veins! It's not that I
want to clear myself. I know that I went back to drink, like the beast
that I was. But she would have fo