. . . I had quite intended to duly label this note-book, and put it
away among my papers, but somehow I forgot to do so, and only came
across it the other day by accident. I have been reading the
Jarlchester Mystery over again, and it struck me as one of the most
extraordinary cases I have ever had the pleasure of investigating. It
is now about a year ago since I left Ironfields after having brought
Judas to book, and I am rather pleased at discovering this pocket-book
now, as it gives me an opportunity of completing the case by telling
his fate . . .
". . . In the _Figaro_ of last Monday I read an account of a certain
Jules Guinaud, who is none other than my old friend, Monsieur Judas.
It appears that after having left Ironfields, the accomplished Judas
returned to Paris as offering a wider field for his peculiar talents,
and there he married a very wealthy young lady. After the marriage,
however, Monsieur Judas found out that his mother-in-law had the
money, and it would not descend to the daughter until her death. On
discovering this disagreeable state of things, Monsieur Judas
proceeded to put his mother-in-law out of the way, and managed to do
so by means of his old poison, morphia. Madame Judas inherited the
money, monsieur had the handling of it, and all was going well, only
monsieur found madame flirting with a good-looking cousin. Filled with
virtuous indignation at the violation of the domestic hearth, Monsieur
Judas proceeded to poison the cousin, but before he could manage it,
madame, remembering the suspicious death of her mother, interfered,
and the end of the affair was the recovery of the cousin, the
exhumation of the mother-in-law's body, and the arrest of Monsieur
Judas . . .
". . . He made a very ingenious defence, but the case was clearly
proved against him, and he was sentenced to the guillotine. Monsieur
Judas, however, it appears, had some influence in an underhand way,
and got his sentence commuted to penal servitude; so now he is on his
way to New Caledonia, where he will stay for the rest of his life in
congenial company. It is reported that Madame Judas intends to get a
divorce, in which case I presume she will marry the good-looking
cousin. . . .
". . . Monsieur Judas thus being disposed of, I had better make a note
of the present condition of the other actors in the mystery. . . .
". . . After Florry Marson's death her father fell into his dotage.
Shortly afterwards his firm became bankrupt; the second blow was too
much for him, and he died six months ago. . . .