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"It was quite easy to see what had happened He had walked quickly out on the landing with the case-opener in his hand His foot had caught in the tornand he had pitched head fore the case-opener He had fallen so that his head had coe of the axe-blade; he had then rolled over and the case-opener had dropped from his hand

"I lit a wax match and stooped down to look at him His head was in a very peculiar position, which made me suspect that his neck was broken There was extre from the wound; he was perfectly ; and I felt no doubt that he was dead

"It was an exceedingly regrettable affair, and it placed me, as I perceived at once, in an extremely aard position My first impulse was to send the caretaker for a doctor and a policeman; but a moment's reflection convinced me that there were serious objections to this course

"There was nothing to show that I had not, myself, knocked hi to show that I had; but ere alone in the house with the exception of the caretaker, as down in the basement out of ear-shot

"There would be an inquest At the inquest, inquiries would be made as to the hich was known to exist But, as soon as the as produced, Hurst would become suspicious He would probably ed with the ed, Hurst would suspect nment; and, under the circumstances, it would be practically impossible for me to enforce it He would refuse to pay and I could not take my claim into Court

"I sat down on the stairs just above poor John's body and considered the ing; at the best, I stood to lose close upon fifty thousand pounds These were not pleasant alternatives

"Supposing, on the other hand, I concealed the body and gave out that John had gone to Paris There was, of course, the risk of discovery, in which case I should certainly be convicted of the murder But if no discovery occurred, I was not only safe from suspicion, but I secured the fifty thousand pounds In either case there was considerable risk, but in one there was the certainty of loss, whereas in the other there was a e to justify the risk The question hether it would be possible to conceal the body If it were, then the contingent profit orth the slight additional risk But a hu to dispose of, especially to a person of so little scientific culture as myself