"I see," said I; "she need n't know who I am, or anything else. But if I tell her it's all right, do you think she won't want to know why there ain't a jury, and so on?" "Bless you," said the man, "the girl is n't over seventeen, and does n't know no more than her baby." "I 'll do it," said I, suddenly, for, as I saw, it involved no sort of risk; "but I must have three hundred dollars." "And fifty," added the wolf, "if you do it well." With this the man buttoned about him a shaggy gray overcoat, and took his leave without a single word in addition. For the first time in my life I failed that night to sleep. I thought to myself at last that I would get up early, pack a few clothes, and escape, leaving my books to pay, as they might, my arrears of rent. Looking out of the window, however, in the morning, I saw Stagers prowling about the opposite pavement, and, as the only exit except the street door was an alleyway, which opened alongside of the front of the house, I gave myself up for lost. About ten o'clock I took my case of instruments, and started for File's house, followed, as I too well understood, by Stagers. I knew the house, which was in a small street, by its closed windows and the craped bell, which I shuddered as I touched. However, it was too late to draw back, and I therefore inquired for Mrs. File. A young and haggard-looking woman came down, and led me into a small parlor, for whose darkened light I was thankful enough. "Did you write me this note?" said I. "I did," said the woman, "if you 're the coroner. Joe, he 's my husband, he 's gone out to see about the funeral. I wish it was his, I do." "What do you suspect?" said I. "I 'll tell you," she returned, in a whisper. "I think he was made away with. I think there was foul play. I think he was poisoned. That 's what I think." "I hope you may be mistaken," said I. "Suppose you let me see the body." "You shall see it," she replied; and, following her, I went up stairs to a front chamber, where I found the corpse. "Get it over soon," said the woman, with a strange firmness. "If there ain't no murder been done, I shall have to run for it. If there is," and her face set hard, "I guess I 'll stay." With this she closed the door, and left me with the dead.