Merton. This man occupied himself for sometime in washing his hands and
face in a stable bucket, which happened to stand by the door; and, during
the whole of this process, he continued to moan and mutter, like one in
woeful perturbation. He said, distinctly, twice or thrice, "by ----, I am
done for;" and every now and then he muttered, "and nothing for it, after
all." When he had done washing his hands, he took something from his
coat-pocket, and looked at it, shaking his head; at this time he was
standing with his back turned toward the boy, so that he could not see
what this object might be. The man, however, put it into his breast, and
then began to search hurriedly, as it seemed, for some hiding place for
it. After looking at the pavement, and poking at the chinks of the wall,
he suddenly went to the window, and forced up the stone which formed the
sill. Under this he threw the object which the boy had seen him examine
with so much perplexity, and then he readjusted the stone, and removed
the evidences of its having been recently stirred. The boy was a little
frightened, but very curious about all that he saw; and when the man left
the stable in which he lay, he got up, and following to the door, peeped
after him. He saw him putting on an outside-coat and hat, near the yard
gate; and then, with great caution, unbolt the wicket, constantly looking
back towards the house, and so let himself out. The boy was uneasy, and
sat in the hay, wide-awake, until morning. He then told the servants what
he had seen, and one of the men having raised the stone, which he had not
strength to lift, they found the dagger, which Smith had identified as
belonging to his master. This weapon was stained with blood; and some
hair, which was found to correspond in color with Sir Wynston's, was
sticking in the crevice between the blade and the handle.

"It appears very strange that one man should have employed two
distinct instruments of this kind," observed Mervyn, after a pause. A
silence followed.