Ididallamancoulddotoreclaimher。Quiteuseless！ShehadneverreallyreturnedtheloveIfeltforher:Ihadnoinfluence；
Icoulddonothing。Mymother，hearingofthislastworsetrouble，resolvedtotrywhatherinfluencecoulddo。Illasshewas，I
foundheronedaydressedtogoout。
“Iamnotlongforthisworld，Francis，“shesaid。“Ishallnotfeeleasyonmydeathbed，unlessIhavedonemybesttothelasttomakeyouhappy。Imeantoputmyownfearsandmyownfeelingsoutofthequestion，andgowithyoutoyourwife，andtrywhatIcandotoreclaimher。Takemehomewithyou，Francis。LetmedoallIcantohelpmyson，beforeitistoolate。“
HowcouldIdisobeyher？Wetooktherailwaytothetown:itwasonlyhalfanhour’sride。Byoneo’clockintheafternoonwereachedmyhouse。Itwasourdinnerhour，andAliciawasinthekitchen。Iwasabletotakemymotherquietlyintotheparlorandthentopreparemywifeforthevisit。Shehaddrunkbutlittleatthatearlyhour；and，luckily，thedevilinherwastamedforthetime。
Shefollowedmeintotheparlor，andthemeetingpassedoffbetterthanIhadventuredtoforecast；withthisonedrawback，thatmymother——thoughshetriedhardtocontrolherself——shrankfromlookingmywifeinthefacewhenshespoketoher。ItwasarelieftomewhenAliciabegantopreparethetablefordinner。
Shelaidthecloth，broughtinthebreadtray，andcutsomeslicesforusfromtheloaf。Thenshereturnedtothekitchen。Atthatmoment，whileIwasstillanxiouslywatchingmymother，IwasstartledbyseeingthesameghastlychangepassoverherfacewhichhadaltereditinthemorningwhenAliciaandshefirstmet。
BeforeIcouldsayaword，shestartedupwithalookofhorror。
“Takemeback！——home，homeagain，Francis！Comewithme，andnevergobackmore！“
Iwasafraidtoaskforanexplanation；Icouldonlysignhertobesilent，andhelpherquicklytothedoor。Aswepassedthebreadtrayonthetable，shestoppedandpointedtoit。
“Didyouseewhatyourwifecutyourbreadwith？“sheasked。
“No，mother；Iwasnotnoticing。Whatwasit？“
“Look！“
Ididlook。Anewclaspknife，withabuckhornhandle，laywiththeloafinthebreadtray。Istretchedoutmyhandtopossessmyselfofit。Atthesamemoment，therewasanoiseinthekitchen，andmymothercaughtmebythearm。
“TheknifeoftheDream！Francis，I’mfaintwithfear——takemeawaybeforeshecomesback！“
Icouldn’tspeaktocomfortoreventoanswerher。SuperiorasI
wastosuperstition，thediscoveryoftheknifestaggeredme。Insilence，Ihelpedmymotheroutofthehouse；andtookherhome。
Iheldoutmyhandtosaygood-by。Shetriedtostopme。
“Don’tgoback，Francis！don’tgoback！“
“Imustgettheknife，mother。Imustgobackbythenexttrain。“
Iheldtothatresolution。BythenexttrainIwentback。
Mywifehad，ofcourse，discoveredoursecretdeparturefromthehouse。Shehadbeendrinking。Shewasinafuryofpassion。Thedinnerinthekitchenwasflungunderthegrate；theclothwasofftheparlortable。Wherewastheknife？
Iwasfoolishenoughtoaskforit。Sherefusedtogiveittome。
Inthecourseofthedisputebetweenuswhichfollowed，I
discoveredthattherewasahorriblestoryattachedtotheknife。
Ithadbeenusedinamurder——yearssince——andhadbeensoskillfullyhiddenthattheauthoritieshadbeenunabletoproduceitatthetrial。Byhelpofsomeofherdisreputablefriends，mywifehadbeenabletopurchasethisrelicofabygonecrime。Herpervertednaturesetsomehorridunacknowledgedvalueontheknife。
Seeingtherewasnohopeofgettingitbyfairmeans，Ideterminedtosearchforit，laterintheday，insecret。Thesearchwasunsuccessful。Nightcameon，andIleftthehousetowalkaboutthestreets。YouwillunderstandwhatabrokenmanIwasbythistime，whenItellyouIwasafraidtosleepinthesameroomwithher！
Threeweekspassed。Stillsherefusedtogiveuptheknife；andstillthatfearofsleepinginthesameroomwithherpossessedme。
Iwalkedaboutatnight，ordozedintheparlor，orsatwatchingbymymother’sbedside。Beforetheendofthefirstweekinthenewmonth，theworstmisfortuneofallbefellme——mymotherdied。Itwantedthenbutashorttimetomybirthday。Shehadlongedtolivetillthatday。Iwaspresentatherdeath。Herlastwordsinthisworldwereaddressedtome。“Don’tgoback，myson——don’tgoback！“
Iwasobligedtogoback，ifitwasonlytowatchmywife。Inthelastdaysofmymother’sillnessshehadspitefullyaddedastingtomygriefbydeclaringshewouldassertherrighttoattendthefuneral。InspiteofallthatIcoulddoorsay，sheheldtoherword。Onthedayappointedfortheburialsheforcedherself，inflamedandshamelesswithdrink，intomypresence，andsworeshewouldwalkinthefuneralprocessiontomymother’sgrave。
Thislastinsult——afterallIhadgonethroughalready——wasmorethanIcouldendure。Itmaddenedme。Trytomakeallowancesforamanbesidehimself。Istruckher。
Theinstanttheblowwasdealt，Irepentedit。Shecroucheddown，silent，inacorneroftheroom，andeyedmesteadily。Itwasalookthatcooledmyhotbloodinaninstant。Therewasnotimenowtothinkofmakingatonement。Icouldonlyrisktheworst，andmakesureofhertillthefuneralwasover。Ilockedherintoherbedroom。
WhenIcameback，afterlayingmymotherinthegrave，Ifoundhersittingbythebedside，verymuchalteredinlookandbearing，withabundleonherlap。Shefacedmequietly；shespokewithacuriousstillnessinhervoice——strangelyandunnaturallycomposedinlookandmanner。
“Nomanhaseverstruckmeyet，“shesaid。“Myhusbandshallhavenosecondopportunity。Setthedooropen，andletmego。“
Shepassedme，andlefttheroom。Isawherwalkawayupthestreet。Wasshegoneforgood？
AllthatnightIwatchedandwaited。Nofootstepcamenearthehouse。Thenextnight，overcomewithfatigue，Ilaydownonthebedinmyclothes，withthedoorlocked，thekeyonthetable，andthecandleburning。Myslumberwasnotdisturbed。Thethirdnight，thefourth，thefifth，thesixth，passed，andnothinghappened。Ilaydownontheseventhnight，stillsuspiciousofsomethinghappening；stillinmyclothes；stillwiththedoorlocked，thekeyonthetable，andthecandleburning。
Myrestwasdisturbed。Iawoketwice，withoutanysensationofuneasiness。Thethirdtime，thathorridshiveringofthenightatthelonelyinn，thatawfulsinkingpainattheheart，camebackagain，androusedmeinaninstant。Myeyesturnedtotheleft-
handsideofthebed。Andtherestood，lookingatme——
TheDreamWomanagain？No！Mywife。Thelivingwoman，withthefaceoftheDream——intheattitudeoftheDream——thefairarmup；
theknifeclaspedinthedelicatewhitehand。
Ispranguponherontheinstant；butnotquicklyenoughtostopherfromhidingtheknife。Withoutawordfromme，withoutacryfromher，Ipinionedherinachair。WithonehandIfeltuphersleeve；andthere，wheretheDreamWomanhadhiddentheknife，mywifehadhiddenit——theknifewiththebuckhornhandle，thatlookedlikenew。
WhatIfeltwhenImadethatdiscoveryIcouldnotrealizeatthetime，andIcan’tdescribenow。Itookonesteadylookatherwiththeknifeinmyhand。“Youmeanttokillme？“Isaid。
“Yes，“sheanswered；“Imeanttokillyou。“Shecrossedherarmsoverherbosom，andstaredmecoollyintheface。“Ishalldoityet，“shesaid。“Withthatknife。“
Idon’tknowwhatpossessedme——IsweartoyouIamnocoward；andyetIactedlikeacoward。Thehorrorsgotholdofme。Icouldn’tlookather——Icouldn’tspeaktoher。Ileftherwiththeknifeinmyhand，andwentoutintothenight。
Therewasableakwindabroad，andthesmellofrainwasintheair。ThechurchclockschimedthequarterasIwalkedbeyondthelasthouseinthetown。IaskedthefirstpolicemanImetwhathourthatwas，ofwhichthequarterpasthadjuststruck。
Themanlookedathiswatch，andanswered，“Twoo’clock。“Twointhemorning。Whatdayofthemonthwasthisdaythathadjustbegun？Ireckoneditupfromthedateofmymother’sfuneral。Thehorridparallelbetweenthedreamandtherealitywascomplete——itwasmybirthday！
HadIescapedthemortalperilwhichthedreamforetold？orhadI
onlyreceivedasecondwarning？AsthatdoubtcrossedmymindI
stoppedonmywayoutofthetown。Theairhadrevivedme——Ifeltinsomedegreelikemyownselfagain。Afteralittlethinking，I
begantoseeplainlythemistakeIhadmadeinleavingmywifefreetogowhereshelikedandtodoasshepleased。
Iturnedinstantly，andmademywaybacktothehouse。Itwasstilldark。Ihadleftthecandleburninginthebedchamber。WhenIlookeduptothewindowoftheroomnow，therewasnolightinit。Iadvancedtothehousedoor。Ongoingaway，Irememberedtohaveclosedit；ontryingitnow，Ifounditopen。
Iwaitedoutside，neverlosingsightofthehousetilldaylight。
ThenIventuredindoors——listened，andheardnothing——lookedintothekitchen，scullery，parlor，andfoundnothing——wentupatlastintothebedroom。Itwasempty。
Apicklocklayonthefloor，whichtoldmehowshehadgainedentranceinthenight。AndthatwastheonetraceIcouldfindoftheDreamWoman。