He turned to an index, or table of contents, and opened a page.

Something like a flash of life showed itself on his dismal face.
"Ha! now I remember," he said.

"The knife was bought of my late brother-in-law, in the shop downstairs.

It all comes back to me, sir.

A person in a state of frenzy burst into this very room, and snatched the knife away from me, when I was only half way through the inscription!" I felt that I was now close on discovery.