He took some writing-paper and went down into the dining-room. He felt a little cold⁠—not so cheerful. A little whisky would buck him up. A little whisky, while he wrote this letter.

He drank half a tumbler, and sat down. How would it go, this letter? To the police, of course. He wrote:

“This is to certify that I, Stephen Byrne, strangled Emily Gaunt on the

15th of May

; John Egerton had nothing to do with it. I am going to drown myself.”