"That was how Enoch Drebber came to his end. All I had to do then was to do as much for Stangerson, and so pay off John Ferrier's debt. I knew that he was staying at Halliday's Private Hotel, and I hung about all day, but he never came out. I fancy that he suspected something when Drebber failed to put in an appearance. He was cunning, was Stangerson, and always on his guard. If he thought he could keep me off by staying indoors he was very much mistaken. I soon found out which was the window of his bedroom, and early next morning I took advantage of some ladders which were lying in the lane behind the hotel, and so made my way into his room in the grey of the dawn. I woke him up and told him that the hour had come when he was to answer for the life he had taken so long before. I described Drebber's death to him, and I gave him the same choice of the poisoned pills. Instead of grasping at the chance of safety which that offered him, he sprang from his bed and flew at my throat. In self-defence I stabbed him to the heart. It would have been the same in any case, for Providence would never have allowed his guilty hand to pick out anything but the poison.

"I have little more to say (мне немногое осталось рассказать), and it's as well, for I am about done up (и хорошо, так как силы мои на исходе; done up — физически истощен). I went on cabbing it for a day or so (я продолжал заниматься извозом день-другой), intending to keep at it until I could save enough to take me back to America (намереваясь заниматься этим, пока я не накоплю достаточно денег, чтобы вернуться в Америку). I was standing in the yard when a ragged youngster asked (я стоял на хозяйском дворе, когда какой-то оборванец спросил; ragged — оборванный, одетый в лохмотья; youngster — юноша; ребенок) if there was a cabby there called Jefferson Hope (нет ли здесь кебмена по имени Джефферсон Хоуп), and said that his cab was wanted by a gentleman at 221B, Baker Street (и сказал, что его кеб нужен джентльмену по адресу Бейкер-стрит, 221Б). I went round, suspecting no harm (я отправился по вызову, ничего не подозревая), and the next thing I knew, this young man here had the bracelets on my wrists (и тут вдруг этот молодой человек надевает мне браслеты на запястья; next thing I knew — не успел я опомниться), and as neatly shackled as ever I saw in my life (да так ловко, что ловчее я и не видал в своей жизни; to shackle — заковывать в кандалы). That's the whole of my story, gentlemen (вот и вся моя история, джентльмены). You may consider me to be a murderer (вы можете считать меня убийцей); but I hold that I am just as much an officer of justice as you are (но я считаю, что я такой же служитель закона, как и вы; justice — справедливость; правосудие, юстиция)."