# Unexpected Testimony explained — The Leavenworth Case

> Chapter companion for The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katharine Green.

## What happens

Mrs. Belden testifies that Hannah came to her house on the night of the murder, sent by Mary Leavenworth, and remained silent until her death. The narrator discovers a letter from Hannah under her body, which names a tall, splendid-looking gentleman with a black mustache as the murderer, exonerating Eleanore.

## Themes in this chapter

### Secrecy and Truth

Hannah's hidden letter reveals the truth, contrasting with the secrecy maintained by Mary and Mrs. Belden.

### Guilt and Innocence

The letter exonerates Eleanore and points to a new suspect, shifting the guilt narrative.

### Appearance vs. Reality

Mrs. Belden's initial respect for Henry Clavering contrasts with her later suspicion of him as the murderer.

## Character check-ins

### The Narrator

Interviews Mrs. Belden and discovers Hannah's letter.

### Amy Belden

Provides testimony about Hannah's arrival and her suspicions of Henry Clavering.

### Hannah

Deceased; her letter is found, revealing the murderer's identity.

### Mary Leavenworth

Implied to have sent Hannah to Mrs. Belden's house and to have a secret marriage.

### Eleanore Leavenworth

Mentioned in Hannah's letter as being wrongly suspected.

### Henry Clavering

Suspected by Mrs. Belden as the murderer due to his marriage to Mary.

## Key lines

> I am a wicked girl. I have knone things all the time which I had ought to have told but I didn’t dare to he said he would kill me if I did I mene the tall splendud looking gentulman with the black mustash who I met coming out of Mister Levenworth’s room with a key in his hand the night Mr. Levenworth was murdered.

Hannah confesses she withheld knowledge of the murderer—a tall, handsome man with a black mustache—whom she saw leaving Mr. Leavenworth's room with a key on the night of the murder.

_This is the pivotal revelation from Hannah's posthumous letter._

> He was so scared he gave me money and made me go away and come here and keep everything secret but I can’t do so no longer.

The murderer bribed Hannah to flee and remain silent, but she can no longer keep the secret.

_Explains Hannah's flight and silence until her death._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_leavenworth_case_se/chapters/xxxiii-unexpected-testimony
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_leavenworth_case_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_leavenworth_case_se/chapters