He regarded me as a guilty man, and what was more to the point no doubt, as one for whom no plea could be made or any rational defence undertaken.
"You don't believe me," I went on, still without any great bitterness.

"I am not surprised at it, after what the man Clarke has said of seeing me with my hands on her throat.

Any man, friend or not, would take me for a villain after that.

But, Charles, to you I will confess what cowardice kept me from owning to Dr.Perry at the proper, possibly at the only proper moment, that I did this out of a wild desire to see if those marks were really the marks of strangling fingers.

I could not believe that she had been so killed and, led away by my doubts, I leaned over her and--You shall believe me, you must," I insisted, as I perceived his hard gaze remain unsoftened.