the purcell papers-2-第2章

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room　were　carefully　examined；　in　order　to

ascertain　whether　they　contained　a　trap…

door　or　other　concealed　mode　of　entrance

but　no　such　thing　appeared。



Such　was　the　minuteness　of　investigation

employed；　that；　although　the　grate

had　contained　a　large　fire　during　the　night；

they　proceeded　to　examine　even　the　very

chimney；　in　order　to　discover　whether

escape　by　it　were　possible；　but　this

attempt；　too；　was　fruitless；　for　the　chimney；

built　in　the　old　fashion；　rose　in　a　perfectly

perpendicular　line　from　the　hearth　to　a

height　of　nearly　fourteen　feet　above　the

roof；　affording　in　its　interior　scarcely　the

possibility　of　ascent；　the　flue　being

smoothly　plastered；　and　sloping　towards

the　top　like　an　inverted　funnel；　promising；

too；　even　if　the　summit　were　attained；

owing　to　its　great　height；　but　a　precarious

descent　upon　the　sharp　and　steep…ridged

roof；　the　ashes；　too；　which　lay　in　the

grate；　and　the　soot；　as　far　as　it　could　be

seen；　were　undisturbed；　a　circumstance

almost　conclusive　of　the　question。



Sir　Arthur　was　of　course　examined；　his

evidence　was　given　with　clearness　and

unreserve；　which　seemed　calculated　to　silence

all　suspicion。　He　stated　that；　up　to　the

day　and　night　immediately　preceding　the

catastrophe；　he　had　lost　to　a　heavy

amount；　but　that；　at　their　last　sitting；　he

had　not　only　won　back　his　original　loss；

but　upwards　of　four　thousand　pounds　in

addition；　in　evidence　of　which　he　produced

an　acknowledgment　of　debt　to　that

amount　in　the　handwriting　of　the　deceased；

and　bearing　the　date　of　the　fatal　night。

He　had　mentioned　the　circumstance　to　his

lady；　and　in　presence　of　some　of　the

domestics；　which　statement　was

supported　by　THEIR　respective　evidence。



One　of　the　jury　shrewdly　observed；　that

the　circumstance　of　Mr。　Tisdall's　having

sustained　so　heavy　a　loss　might　have

suggested　to　some　ill…minded　persons

accidentally　hearing　it；　the　plan　of　robbing

him；　after　having　murdered　him　in　such　a

manner　as　might　make　it　appear　that　he

had　committed　suicide；　a　supposition

which　was　strongly　supported　by　the

razors　having　been　found　thus　displaced；

and　removed　from　their　case。　Two　persons

had　probably　been　engaged　in　the

attempt；　one　watching　by　the　sleeping

man；　and　ready　to　strike　him　in　case　of

his　awakening　suddenly；　while　the　other

was　procuring　the　razors　and　employed　in

inflicting　the　fatal　gash；　so　as　to　make　it

appear　to　have　been　the　act　of　the

murdered　man　himself。　It　was　said　that

while　the　juror　was　making　this　suggestion

Sir　Arthur　changed　colour。



Nothing；　however；　like　legal　evidence

appeared　against　him；　and　the　consequence

was　that　the　verdict　was　found　against　a

person　or　persons　unknown；　and　for　some

time　the　matter　was　suffered　to　rest；　until；

after　about　five　months；　my　father

received　a　letter　from　a　person　signing

himself　Andrew　Collis；　and　representing

himself　to　be　the　cousin　of　the　deceased。　This

letter　stated　that　Sir　Arthur　was　likely　to

incur　not　merely　suspicion；　but　personal

risk；　unless　he　could　account　for　certain

circumstances　connected　with　the　recent

murder；　and　contained　a　copy　of　a　letter

written　by　the　deceased；　and　bearing　date；

the　day　of　the　week；　and　of　the　month；

upon　the　night　of　which　the　deed　of　blood

had　been　perpetrated。　Tisdall's　note　ran

as　follows：



　　　　　'DEAR　COLLIS；

　　　　　　　　　　'I　have　had　sharp　work　with　Sir

Arthur；　he　tried　some　of　his　stale　tricks；

but　soon　found　that　_I_　was　Yorkshire　too：

it　would　not　doyou　understand　me。　We

went　to　the　work　like　good　ones；　head；

heart　and　soul；　and；　in　fact；　since　I　came

here；　I　have　lost　no　time。　I　am　rather

fagged；　but　I　am　sure　to　be　well　paid　for

my　hardship；　I　never　want　sleep　so　long

as　I　can　have　the　music　of　a　dice…box；　and

wherewithal　to　pay　the　piper。　As　I　told

you；　he　tried　some　of　his　queer　turns；　but

I　foiled　him　like　a　man；　and；　in　return；

gave　him　more　than　he　could　relish　of　the

genuine　DEAD　KNOWLEDGE。



'In　short；　I　have　plucked　the　old

baronet　as　never　baronet　was　plucked　before；

I　have　scarce　left　him　the　stump　of

a　quill；　I　have　got　promissory　notes　in　his

hand　to　the　amount　ofif　you　like　round

numbers；　say；　thirty　thousand　pounds；

safely　deposited　in　my　portable　strong…

box；　alias　double…clasped　pocket…book。　I

leave　this　ruinous　old　rat…hole　early　on　to…

morrow；　for　two　reasonsfirst；　I　do　not

want　to　play　with　Sir　Arthur　deeper　than

I　think　his　security；　that　is；　his　money；　or

his　money's　worth；　would　warrant；　and；

secondly；　because　I　am　safer　a　hundred

miles　from　Sir　Arthur　than　in　the　house

with　him。　Look　you；　my　worthy；　I　tell

you　this　between　ourselvesI　may　be

wrong；　but；　by　G；　I　am　as　sure　as　that　I

am　now　living；　that　Sir　A　attempted

to　poison　me　last　night；　so　much　for　old

friendship　on　both　sides。



'When　I　won　the　last　stake；　a　heavy　one

enough；　my　friend　leant　his　forehead　upon

his　hands；　and　you'll　laugh　when　I　tell

you　that　his　head　literally　smoked　like　a

hot　dumpling。　I　do　not　know　whether　his

agitation　was　produced　by　the　plan　which

he　had　against　me；　or　by　his　having　lost　so

heavilythough　it　must　be　allowed　that　he

had　reason　to　be　a　little　funked；　whichever

way　his　thoughts　went；　but　he　pulled　the

bell；　and　ordered　two　bottles　of

champagne。　While　the　fellow　was　bringing

them　he　drew　out　a　promissory　note　to　the

full　amount；　which　he　signed；　and；　as　the

man　came　in　with　the　bottles　and　glasses；

he　desired　him　to　be　off；　he　filled　out　a

glass　for　me；　and；　while　he　thought　my

eyes　were　off；　for　I　was　putting　up　his　note

at　the　time；　he　dropped　something　slyly

into　it；　no　doubt　to　sweeten　it；　but　I　saw

it　all；　and；　when　he　handed　it　to　me；　I

said；　with　an　emphasis　which　he　might　or

might　not　understand：



'　〃There　is　some　sediment　in　this；　I'll

not　drink　it。〃



'　〃Is　there？〃　said　he；　and　at　the　same

time　snatched　it　from　my　hand　and　threw

it　into　the　fire。　What　do　you　think　of

that？　have　I　not　a　tender　chicken　to

manage？　Win　or　lose；　I　will　not　play

beyond　five　thousand　to…night；　and　to…

morrow　sees　me　safe　out　of　the　reach　of

Sir　Arthur's　champagne。　So；　all　things

considered；　I　think　you　must　allow　that

you　are　not　the　last　who　have　found　a

knowing　boy　in

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'Yours　to　command；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'HUGH　TISDALL。'





Of　the　authenticity　of　this　document　I

never　heard　my　father　express　a　doubt；

and　I　am　satisfied　that；　owing　to　his

strong　conviction　in　favour　of　his　brother；

he　would　not　have　admitted　it　without

sufficient　inquiry；　inasmuch　as　it　tended　to

confirm　the　suspicions　which　already

existed　to　his　prejudice。



Now；　the　only　point　in　this　letter　which

made　strongly　against　my　uncle；　was　the

mention　of　the　'double…clasped　pocket…

book'　as　the　receptacle　of　the　papers

likely　to　involve　him；　for　this　pocket…book

was　not　forthcoming；　nor　anywhere　to　be

found；　nor　had　any　papers　referring　to　his

gaming　transactions　been　found　upon　the

dead　man。　However；　whatever　might　have

been　the　original　intention　of　this　Collis；

neither　my　uncle　nor　my　father　ever　heard

more　of　him；　but　he　published　the　letter

in　Faulkner's　newspaper；　which　was　shortly

afterwards　made　the　vehicle　of　a　much

more　mysterious　attack。　The　passage　in

that　periodical　to　which　I　allude；　occurred

about　four　years　afterwards；　and　while　the

fatal　occurrence　was　still　fresh　in　public

recollection。　It　commenced　by　a　rambling

preface；　stating　that　'a　CERTAIN　PERSON

whom　CERTAIN　persons　thought　to　be　dead；

was　not　so；　but　living；　and　in　full　possession

of　his　memory；　and　moreover　ready

and　able　to　make　GREAT　delinquents

tremble。'　It　then　went　on　to　describe　the

murder；　without；　however；　mentioning

names；　and　in　doing　so；　it　entered　into

minute　and　circumstantial　particulars　of

which　none　but　an　EYE…WITNESS　could　have

been　possessed；　and　by