them that the old man had been away in the country for some time. I led my visitors through all the rooms of the house and asked them to search every room thoroughly. Then I brought them to the old man's room and showed

them his jewels and his papers — untouched, remaining just as they had been. In the fervor of my self-confidence I was so bold as to bring them some chairs and ask them to sit down and rest from the fatigue of the search, while

the intoxication of triumph and self-assurance drove me to drag up a chair for myself and place it upon the very planks beneath which I had buried the remains of the corpse.

The officers were satisfied by my