Chapter 1

SIXTH NARRATIVE

Contributed by SERGEANT CUFF

I

Dorking, Surrey, July 30th, 1849. To Franklin Blake, Esq. Sir,--I beg
to apologise for the delay that has occurred in the production of the
Report, with which I engaged to furnish you. I have waited to make it a
complete Report; and I have been met, here and there, by obstacles which
it was only possible to remove by some little expenditure of patience
and time.

The object which I proposed to myself has now, I hope, been attained.
You will find, in these pages, answers to the greater part--if not
all--of the questions, concerning the late Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite, which
occurred to your mind when I last had the honour of seeing you.

I propose to tell you--in the first place--what is known of the manner
in which your cousin met his death; appending to the statement such
inferences and conclusions as we are justified (according to my opinion)
in drawing from the facts.

I shall then endeavour--in the second place--to put you in possession
of such discoveries as I have made, respecting the proceedings of Mr.
Godfrey Ablewhite, before, during and after the time, when you and he
met as guests at the late Lady Verinder's country-house.