"My mind," Sir Leicester adds with a generous warmth, "has not, as may be easily supposed, recovered its tone since the late diabolical occurrence. It is not likely ever to recover its tone. But it is full of indignation to-night after undergoing the ordeal of consigning to the tomb the remains of a faithful, a zealous, a devoted adherent."
Sir Leicester's voice trembles and his grey hair stirs upon his head. Tears are in his eyes; the best part of his nature is aroused.
"I declare," he says, "I solemnly declare that until this crime is discovered and, in the course of justice, punished, I almost feel as if there were a stain upon my name. A gentleman who has devoted a large portion of his life to me, a gentleman who has devoted the last day of his life to me, a gentleman who has constantly sat at my table and slept under my roof, goes from my house to his own, and is struck down within an hour of his leaving my house. I cannot say but that he may have been followed from my house, watched at my house, even first marked because of his association with my house--which may have suggested his possessing greater wealth and being altogether of greater importance than his own retiring demeanour would have indicated. If I cannot with my means and influence and my position bring all the perpetrators of such a crime to light, I fail in the assertion of my respect for that gentleman's memory and of my fidelity towards one who was ever faithful to me."
While he makes this protestation with great emotion and earnestness, looking round the room as if he were addressing an assembly, Mr. Bucket glances at him with an observant gravity in which there might be, but for the audacity of the thought, a touch of compassion.

"I declare," says Sir Leicester, his voice trembling and tears in his eyes, "I solemnly declare that until this crime is solved and punished, I almost feel as if there were a stain upon my name. A gentleman who has devoted a large portion of his life to me, who has sat at my table and slept under my roof, is struck down within an hour of his leaving my house. He may have been followed from my house, even marked because of his association with my house - which may have suggested his possessing greater wealth than his own appearance would have indicated. If I cannot with my influence bring the perpetrators of the crime to light, I fail in my respect for that gentleman's memory."
While he says this with great emotion, Mr. Bucket glances at him with an observant gravity in which there might be a touch of compassion.
