inution of his income a matter of
gratulation and triumph to those with whom he had hitherto competed, and
the consequence was, that he frequented no longer the expensive haunts
of dissipation, and retired from the gay world, leaving his coterie to
discover his reasons as best they might.

He did not, however, forego his favourite vice, for, though he could not
worship his great divinity in the costly temples where it was formerly
his wont to take his stand, yet he found it very possible to bring about
him a sufficient number of the votaries of chance to answer all his
ends. The consequence was, that Carrickleigh, which was the name of my
uncle's residence, was never without one or more of such visitors as I
have described.

It happened that upon one occasion he was visited by one Hugh Tisdall,
a gentleman of loose habits, but of considerable wealth, and who had, in
early youth, travelled with my uncle upon the Continent; the period of
his visit was winter, and, consequently, the house was nearly deserted
excepting by its regular inmates; it was therefore highly acceptable,
particularly as my uncle was aware that his visitor's tastes accorded
exactly with his own.

Both parties seemed determined to avail themselves of their suitability
during the brief stay which Mr. Tisdall had promised; the consequence
was, that they shut themselves up in Sir Arthur's private room for
nearly all the day and the greater part of the night, during the space
of nearly a week, at the end of which the servant having one morning,
as usual, knocked at Mr. Tisdall's bedroom door repeatedly, received no
answer, and, upon attempting to enter, found that it was locked; this
appeared suspicious, and, the inmates of the house having been alarmed,
the door was forced open, and, on proceeding to the bed, they found the
body of its occupant perfectly lifeless, and hanging half-way out, the
head downwards, and near the floor. One deep wound had been inflicted
upon the temple, apparently with some blunt instrument which had
penetrated the brain; and another blow, less effective, probably the
first aimed, had grazed the head, removing some of the scalp, but
leaving the skull untouched. The door had been double-locked upon the
INSIDE, in evidence of which the key still lay where it had been placed
in the lock.

The window, though not secured on the interior, was closed--a
circumstance not a little puzzling, as it afforded the only other mode
of escap