That is easily proved. Here is one of the proofs," said Riedan coldly,
pointing to the purse. "The purse and the watch of the murdered man are
fatal witnesses against you."

"The watch? I haven't any watch. Where should I get a watch?"

"You didn't have one until Monday, possibly; I can believe that. But you
were in possession of a watch between the evening of Monday, the 27th,
and the morning of Wednesday, the 29th."

Knoll's eyes dropped again and he did not trust himself to speak.

"Well, you do not deny this statement?"

"No, I can't," said Knoll, still trying to control his voice. "You must
have the watch yourself now, or else you wouldn't be so certain about
it."

"Ah, you see, I thought you'd had experience with police courts before,"
said the commissioner amiably. "Of course I have the watch already.
The man whom you sold it to this morning knew by three o'clock this
afternoon where this watch came from. He brought it here at once and
gave us your description. A very exact description. The man will be
brought here to identify you to-morrow. We must send for him anyway, to
return his money to him. He paid you fifty-two gulden for the watch. And
how much money was in the purse that you took from the murdered man?"

"Three gulden eighty-five."

"That was a very small sum for which to commit a murder."

Knoll groaned and bit his lips until they bled.

Commissioner von Riedau raised the paper that covered the watch and
continued: "You presumably recognised that the chain on which this watch
hung was valueless, also that it could easily be recognised. Did you
throw it away, or have you it still?"

"I threw it in the river."

"That will not make any difference. We do not need the chain, we have
quite enough evidence without it. The purse, for instance: you thought,
I suppose, that it was just a purse like a thousand others, but it is
not. This purse is absolutely individual and easily recognised, because
it is mended in one spot with yellow thread. The thread has become
loosened and hangs down in a very noticeable manner. It was this yellow
thread on the purse, which he happened to see by chance, that showed the
dealer Goldstamm who it was that had entered his store."

Knoll stood quite silent, staring at the floor. Drops of perspiration
stood out on his forehead, some of them rolling like tears down his
cheek.

The commissioner rose from his seat and walked slowly to where the
prisoner stood. He laid