In what state, then, had he found himself? With a shudder,
he remembered his terror in the library, his fright at the ghost
which had turned out to be only his own coat, his visit to his
room, and the first draught he had swallowed. From that point
onwards his memory grew less and less clear. He found that he
could not remember at all how he had come upstairs the last time.
One thing was evident, however. He had not been arrested, since he
found himself in his chamber unmolested. Who, then, had been taken
in his place? He was amazed to find that he did not know. Surely,
at the first inquest, something must have been said which would
have led to the arrest of some one. The law never went away empty-
handed. He racked his aching brain to bring back the incident, but
it would not be recalled--for the excellent reason that he really
knew nothing about the matter. It was a relief at all events to
find that he had actually been examined with the rest and had not
been suspected. Nevertheless, he had undoubtedly done the deed, of
which the mere thought made him tremble in every joint. Or was it
all a part of his drunken dreams? No, that, at least, could not be
explained away. For a long time he moved uneasily from his
barricade at the door to the window, from which he tried to see
the street below.
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