"Hum ! The investigation really was very simple one," remarked Holmes, "but I don't think it struck him light when he first called us in However, what Jim Browner has for himself his statement as made before Inspector Montgomery Shadwell Police Station, and it advantage of being verbatim "

" 'Have I anything ? Yes, deal clean breast of it all hang me, or leave me alone I don't care plug which I tell you I've not shut an eye in sleep since it, and I don't believe I ever will again until I get past all waking Sometimes it's his face, but most generally it's hers I'm never without one or the other before me He looks frowning and black-like, but she has kind o' surprise upon her face Ay, the white lamb, she might well be surprised when she read death on face that had seldom looked anything but love upon her before

" 'But Sarah's fault, and may the curse of broken man put blight on her and set the blood rotting in her veins ! It's not that to clear myself that I went back to drink, like the beast that But she forgiven me; she stuck as close as rope to block woman had never darkened our door For Sarah Cushing loved me -- that's the root business -- she loved me until all her love turned to poisonous hate when she knew that more wife's footmark mud than of her whole body and soul

" 'There were three sisters altogether The old one was just good woman, the second was devil, third was an angel Sarah was thirty-three, and Mary was twenty-nine when I married We were just as happy day was long when we set up house together, and in all Liverpool no better woman than my Mary And then we asked Sarah up for week, week grew into month, and led to another, until she was just one of ourselves

" ' blue ribbon , and we were putting little money by, and all was as bright as new dollar My God, whoever thought come ? Whoever dreamed it ?

" 'I used home week-ends very often, and sometimes ship were held back for cargo whole week , and deal sister-in-law, Sarah She was fine tall woman, black and quick and fierce, with proud way of carrying her head, and glint from her eye like spark from flint But when little Mary was there I had never thought of her, I swear as for God's mercy

" 'It had seemed sometimes that she liked alone with me, or to coax me out for walk with her, but I had never thought anything But one evening my eyes were opened I had come up ship and found my wife out, but Sarah at home "Where's Mary ? " I asked "Oh, she has gone some accounts " impatient and paced up and down the room "Can't you be happy for five minutes without Mary, Jim ? " says she "It's bad compliment that 't be contented with my society for so short time " "That's all right, my lass," said I, putting out my hand towards her in kindly way, but she had it in both hers in an instant, burned as were in fever I looked into her eyes and it all there no need for her , nor either I frowned and drew my hand away Then she stood by my side in silence for bit, and then put up her hand and patted me shoulder "Steady old Jim ! " said she, and with kind o' mocking laugh, she ran room

" 'Well, Sarah hated me with her whole heart and soul, and woman hate, too fool to let her go on biding -- besotted fool -- but I never said word to Mary, for it would grieve her Things went on much as before, but after time I began that bit of change in Mary herself She had always been so trusting and so innocent, but now she became queer and suspicious, wanting where I and what I doing, and whom my letters were from, and what I had in my pockets, and thousand such follies Day by day she grew queerer and more irritable, and we had ceaseless rows about nothing fairly puzzled all Sarah avoided me now, but she and Mary were just inseparable now how she was plotting and scheming and poisoning my wife's mind against me, but such blind beetle that understand it Then I broke my blue ribbon and began to drink again, but I it if Mary the same as ever She had some reason disgusted with me now, gap began wider and wider And then this Alec Fairbairn chipped in, and things became thousand times blacker

" ' Sarah that to my house first, but soon us, for man with winning ways, and friends wherever he went dashing, swaggering chap, smart and curled, who had seen half the world and could talk of what he had seen good company, I won't deny it, and he had wonderful polite ways for sailor man, there must time when more poop forecastle For month in and out house, and never once did it cross my mind that harm might come soft, tricky ways And then at last something made me suspect, and day my peace was gone forever

" ' only little thing, too I had come parlour unexpected, and as I walked in door light of welcome on my wife's face But as she saw who it faded again, and she turned away with look of disappointment That was enough no one but Alec Fairbairn whose step she mistaken for mine If seen him then killed him, for always been like madman when my temper gets loose Mary saw the devil's light in my eyes, and she ran forward with her hands on my sleeve "Don't, Jim, don't ! " says she "Where's Sarah ? " I asked " kitchen," says she "Sarah," says I as I went in, "this man Fairbairn is never to darken my door again " " ? " says she "Because I order it " "Oh ! " says she, " friends good enough house, then not good enough either " " do what you like," says I, "but if Fairbairn shows his face here again I'll one ears for keepsake " She was frightened by my face, , for she never answered word, same evening she left my house

" 'Well, I don't know now whether pure devilry woman, or whether she thought that turn me against my wife by encouraging her to misbehave Anyway, she took house just two streets off and let lodgings to sailors Fairbairn used to stay there, and Mary would go round tea with her sister and him How often she went I don't know, but I followed her one day, and as I broke in door Fairbairn got away over the back garden wall, like the cowardly skunk that I swore to my wife that kill her if her company again, and I led her back with me, sobbing and trembling, and as white as piece of paper no trace of love any longer I that she hated me and feared me, and thought of it drove me to drink, then she despised me

" 'Well, Sarah found that make living in Liverpool, so she went back, as I understand, to live with her sister in Croydon, and things jogged on much the same as ever at home And then came this last week and all the misery and ruin