It was an old crime, committed in Lancashire, that had found him out.
After his conviction, as a last chance, he tried a disclosure of all the
circumstances of the unsuspected death of the Frenchwoman. Her body was
discovered buried where he indicated, in the inner court of Bartram-Haugh,
and, after due legal enquiry, was interred in the churchyard of Feltram.
Thus I escaped the horrors of the witness-box, or the far worse torture of
a dreadful secret.
Doctor Bryerly, shortly after Lady Knollys had described to him the manner
in which Dudley entered my room, visited the house of Bartram-Haugh, and
minutely examined the windows of the room in which Mr. Charke had slept on
the night of his murder. One of these he found provided with powerful steel
hinges, very craftily sunk and concealed in the timber of the window-frame,
which was secured by an iron pin outside, and swung open on its removal.
This was the room in which they had placed me, and this the contrivance
by means of which the room had been entered. The problem of Mr. Charke's
murder was solved.
* * * * *
I have penned it.
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