now was drugged to make me sleep heavily.

"'I then retired to my room--this room, this bed, on which you now lie!

"'What I am now going to tell you has been made clear to me since; at
the time I was conscious of nothing. As soon as I got into bed, I fell
asleep, and whilst I thus slept Lucretia came through that door
(pointing to the red door opposite), and stabbed me to the heart. I
will show you the instrument with which she did it, if you like.'

"'Pray do,' I said, and he unbuttoned his scarlet uniform coat and drew
from his left side a slender dagger or stiletto.

"I looked at it with great interest and asked if I might take it in my
hand.

"'Certainly, if you wish it,' he said, 'but I do not advise you to touch
it. It is rusty now from the salt, but I assure you it was bright and
keen when she drove it into my heart. The stroke was so cleverly aimed
that I died instantly. Lucretia then made a signal, which was answered
by the entrance of a man, and between them they carried my body through
the door by which I entered to-night.'

"He paused, and I thought he looked more ghastly. 'Is anything the
matter?' I asked.

"'I am thinking,' he answered, 'that I can show you the rest, if you
will follow me, but I must tell you that when we leave this room and
enter the gallery, it is possible the murderess will follow us. Shall
you be afraid?'

"'Not in the least,' I said, 'I will follow you with pleasure, but you
must allow me to put something on, as I am suffering from rheumatism,
and am afraid of the cold and damp.'

"'By all means,' said Captain Carbury. 'I will wait for you in the
gallery.'

"I then got up and put on my dressing-gown and slippers. Whilst I was
doing so, I heard a rustling in the passage as of a woman passing
slowly along. I found Captain Carbury, and followed him along the
gallery without looking round, but when we reached the end of the
gallery and turned to go down the first flight of stairs, I saw the
lady with the black brows--whom I now knew to be Lucretia Carbury, the
murderess--standing in the doorway, between the gallery and the
passage.

"'I do not think she can come any farther,' said my guide, and he
opened the door leading from the staircase into the garden.

"'I am showing you just where they brought me,' said he.

"'Who was the man?' I asked.

"'I never knew his name, but she married him afterwards.'

"He then moved across the lawn _to the bare spot under the plane-tre