in a grey coat, and for the future would confine himself to
that. "You did not see me, my lord," said Mr. Emilius with touching
simplicity.

So the matter stood on the Monday afternoon, and the jury had
already been told that they might be released on the following
Tuesday,--might at any rate hear the judge's charge on that
day,--when another discovery was made more wonderful than that of the
key. And this was made without any journey to Prague, and might, no
doubt, have been made on any day since the murder had been committed.
And it was a discovery for not having made which the police force
generally was subjected to heavy censure. A beautiful little boy was
seen playing in one of those gardens through which the passage runs
with a short loaded bludgeon in his hand. He came into the house with
the weapon, the maid who was with him having asked the little lord no
question on the subject. But luckily it attracted attention, and his
little lordship took two gardeners and a coachman and all the nurses
to the very spot at which he found it. Before an hour was over he was
standing at his father's knee, detailing the fact with great open
eyes to two policemen, having by this time become immensely proud of
his adventure. This occurred late on the Monday afternoon, when the
noble family were at dinner, and the noble family was considerably
disturbed, and at the same time very much interested, by the
occurrence. But on the Tuesday morning there was the additional fact
established that a bludgeon loaded with lead had been found among the
thick grass and undergrowth of shrubs in a spot to which it might
easily have been thrown by any one attempting to pitch it over the
wall. The news flew about the town like wildfire, and it was now
considered certain that the real murderer would be discovered.

But the renewal of the trial was again postponed till the Wednesday,
as it was necessary that an entire day should be devoted to the
bludgeon. The instrument was submitted to the eyes and hands of
persons experienced in such matters, and it was declared on all sides
that the thing was not of English manufacture. It was about a foot
long, with a leathern thong to the handle, with something of a spring
in the shaft, and with the oval loaded knot at the end cased with
leathern thongs very minutely and skilfully cut. They who understood
modern work in leather gave it as their opinion that the weapon had
been made in Paris. It was considered