ctfully, and at the
sound of my name his fellow-policeman changed his manner and muttered an
apology.

I now collected myself sufficiently to state the name and rank of the
murdered man. The policemen bore the body to their station, to which I
accompanied them. I then returned to my own house, and had scarcely sunk
on my bed when sleep came over me. But what a sleep! Never till then had
I known how awfully distinct dreams can be. The phantasmagoria of the
naturalist's collection revived. Life again awoke in the serpent and the
tiger, the scorpion moved, and the vulture flapped its wings. And there
was Margrave, and there Sir Philip; but their position of power was
reversed, and Margrave's foot was on the breast of the dead man. Still
I slept on till I was roused by the summons to attend on Mr. Vigors, the
magistrate to whom the police had reported the murder.

I dressed hastily and went forth. As I passed through the street, I
found that the dismal news had already spread. I was accosted on my way
to the magistrate by a hundred eager, tremulous, inquiring tongues.

The scanty evidence I could impart was soon given.

My introduction to Sir Philip at the mayor's house, our accidental
meeting under the arch, my discovery of the corpse some hours afterwards
on my return from my patient, my professional belief that the deed must
have been done a very short time, perhaps but a few minutes, before I
chanced upon its victim. But, in that case, how account for the long
interval that had elapsed between the time in which I had left Sir
Philip under the arch and the time in which the murder must have been
committed? Sir Philip could not have been wandering through the streets
all those hours. This doubt, how ever, was easily and speedily cleared
up. A Mr. Jeeves, who was one of the principal solicitors in the town,
stated that he had acted as Sir Philip's legal agent and adviser
ever since Sir Philip came of age, and was charged with the exclusive
management of some valuable house-property which the deceased had
possessed in L----; that when Sir Philip had arrived in the town late in
the afternoon of the previous day, he had sent for Mr. Jeeves; informed
him that he, Sir Philip, was engaged to be married; that he wished to
have full and minute information as to the details of his house property
(which had greatly increased in value since his absence from England),
in connection with the settlements his marriage would render nec