The proof that was not upon himself was upon Lionel; but time would efface it, and if anon publication were made of what he was now about to show, it would then be too late to look elsewhere.
"I assure you, Sir Oliver, that had you killed him after what happened I could not hold you guilty of having done more than punish a boorish and arrogant offender." "I know sir.

But it was not so.

One of the pieces of evidence against me--indeed the chief item--is that from Godolphin's body to my door there was a trail of blood." The other two grew tensely interested.

The parson watched him with unblinking eyes.
"Now it follows logically, I think, inevitably indeed, that the murderer must have been wounded in the encounter.

The blood could not possibly have been the victim's, therefore it must have been the slayer's.
That the slayer was wounded indeed we know, since there was blood upon Godolphin's sword.