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That she had been bewildered when questioned by the market-woman

was not surprising, since she had passed a sleepless night and

the fate of poor William was yet uncertain. Concerning the

picture she could give no account.

"I know," continued the unhappy victim, "how heavily and fatally

this one circumstance weighs against me, but I have no power of

explaining it; and when I have expressed my utter ignorance, I am

only left to conjecture concerning the probabilities by which it

might have been placed in my pocket. But here also I am checked.

I believe that I have no enemy on earth, and none surely would

have been so wicked as to destroy me wantonly. Did the murderer

place it there? I know of no opportunity afforded him for so

doing; or, if I had, why should he have stolen the jewel, to part

with it again so soon?