The Carew Murder Case

           Nearlyayearlater,inthemonthofOctober,18——Londonwasstartledbyacrimeofsingularferocityandrenderedallthemorenotablebythehighpositionofthevictim. Thedetailswerefewandstartling. Amaidservantlivingaloneinahousenotfarfromtheriver,hadgoneup-stairstobedabouteleven. Althoughafogrolledoverthecityinthesmallhours,theearlypartofthenightwascloudless,andthelane,whichthemaid’swindowoverlooked,wasbrilliantlylitbythefullmoon. Itseemsshewasromanticallygiven,forshesatdownuponherbox,whichstoodimmediatelyunderthewindow,andfellintoadreamofmusing. Never(sheusedtosay,withstreamingtears,whenshenarratedthatexperience),neverhadshefeltmoreatpeacewithallmenorthoughtmorekindlyoftheworld. Andasshesosatshebecameawareofanagedandbeautifulgentlemanwithwhitehair,drawingnearalongthelane; andadvancingtomeethim,anotherandverysmallgentleman,towhomatfirstshepaidlessattention. Whentheyhadcomewithinspeech(whichwasjustunderthemaid’seyes)theoldermanbowedandaccostedtheotherwithaveryprettymannerofpoliteness. Itdidnotseemasifthesubjectofhisaddresswereofgreatimportance;indeed,fromhispointing,itsometimesappearedasifhewereonlyinquiringhisway; butthemoonshoneonhisfaceashespoke,andthegirlwaspleasedtowatchit,itseemedtobreathesuchaninnocentandold-worldkindnessofdisposition,yetwithsomethinghightoo,asofawell-foundedself-content.