Mylooking-glasswasnear。OneglanceatitsatisfiedmethatnowomaninhersensescouldprefertheEnglishmantoMe。Irecoveredmyself-respect。IhastenedtotheEnglishman’sbedside。
ThemomentIappearedhepointedeagerlytowardmyroom。Heoverwhelmedmewithatorrentofwordsinhisownlanguage。Imadeout，fromhisgesturesandhislooks，thathehad，insomeincomprehensiblemanner，discoveredthepresenceofmyguest；and，strangerstill，thathewasscaredbytheideaofapersoninmyroom。IendeavoredtocomposehimonthesystemwhichIhavealreadymentioned——thatistosay，IsworeathiminMYlanguage。
Theresultnotprovingsatisfactory，IownIshookmyfistinhisface，andleftthebedchamber。
Returningtomyfairfriend，Ifoundherwalkingbackwardandforwardinastateofexcitementwonderfultobehold。Shehadnotwaitedformetofillherglass——shehadbegunthegenerousMoselleinmyabsence。Iprevailedonherwithdifficultytoplaceherselfatthetable。Nothingwouldinducehertoeat。“Myappetiteisgone，“shesaid。“Givemewine。“
ThegenerousMoselledeservesitsname——delicateonthepalate，withprodigious“body。“Thestrengthofthisfinewineproducednostupefyingeffectonmyremarkableguest。Itappearedtostrengthenandexhilarateher——nothingmore。Shealwaysspokeinthesamelowtone，andalways，turntheconversationasImight，broughtitbackwiththesamedexteritytothesubjectoftheEnglishmaninthenextroom。Inanyotherwomanthispersistencywouldhaveoffendedme。Mylovelyguestwasirresistible；I
answeredherquestionswiththedocilityofachild。Shepossessedalltheamusingeccentricityofhernation。WhenItoldheroftheaccidentwhichconfinedtheEnglishmantohisbed，shesprangtoherfeet。Anextraordinarysmileirradiatedhercountenance。Shesaid，“ShowmethehorsewhobroketheEnglishman’sleg！Imustseethathorse！“Itookhertothestables。Shekissedthehorse——
onmywordofhonor，shekissedthehorse！Thatstruckme。I
said。“YouDOknowtheman；andhehaswrongedyouinsomeway。“
No！shewouldnotadmitit，eventhen。“Ikissallbeautifulanimals，“shesaid。“Haven’tIkissedYOU？“Withthatcharmingexplanationofherconduct，sheranbackupthestairs。Ionlyremainedbehindtolockthestabledooragain。WhenIrejoinedher，Imadeastartlingdiscovery。IcaughthercomingoutoftheEnglishman’sroom。
“Iwasjustgoingdownstairsagaintocallyou，“shesaid。“Themaninthereisgettingnoisyoncemore。“
ThemadEnglishman’svoiceassailedourearsonceagain。
“Rigobert！Rigobert！“
HewasafrightfulobjecttolookatwhenIsawhimthistime。Hiseyeswerestaringwildly；theperspirationwaspouringoverhisface。Inapanicofterrorheclaspedhishands；hepointeduptoheaven。Byeverysignandgesturethatamancanmake，heentreatedmenottoleavehimagain。Ireallycouldnothelpsmiling。TheideaofmystayingwithHIM，andleavingmyfairfriendbyherselfinthenextroom！
Iturnedtothedoor。Whenthemadwretchsawmeleavinghimheburstoutintoascreechofdespair——soshrillthatIfeareditmightawakenthesleepingservants。
Mypresenceofmindinemergenciesisproverbialamongthosewhoknowme。Itoreopenthecupboardinwhichhekepthislinen——
seizedahandfulofhishandkerchief’s——gaggedhimwithoneofthem，andsecuredhishandswiththeothers。Therewasnownodangerofhisalarmingtheservants。Aftertyingthelastknot，I
lookedup。
ThedoorbetweentheEnglishman’sroomandminewasopen。Myfairfriendwasstandingonthethreshold——watchingHIMashelayhelplessonthebed；watchingMEasItiedthelastknot。
“Whatareyoudoingthere？“Iasked。“Whydidyouopenthedoor？“
Shesteppeduptome，andwhisperedheranswerinmyear，withhereyesallthetimeuponthemanonthebed:
“Iheardhimscream。“
“Well？“
“Ithoughtyouhadkilledhim。“
Idrewbackfromherinhorror。Thesuspicionofmewhichherwordsimpliedwassufficientlydetestableinitself。Buthermannerwhensheutteredthewordswasmorerevoltingstill。ItsopowerfullyaffectedmethatIstartedbackfromthatbeautifulcreatureasImighthaverecoiledfromareptilecrawlingovermyflesh。
BeforeIhadrecoveredmyselfsufficientlytoreply，mynerveswereassailedbyanothershock。Isuddenlyheardmymistress’svoicecallingtomefromthestableyard。
Therewasnotimetothink——therewasonlytimetoact。TheonethingneededwastokeepMrs。Fairbankfromascendingthestairs，anddiscovering——notmyladyguestonly——buttheEnglishmanalso，gaggedandboundonhisbed。Iinstantlyhurriedtotheyard。AsIrandownthestairsIheardthestableclockstrikethequartertotwointhemorning。
Mymistresswaseagerandagitated。Thedoctorinattendanceonherwassmilingtohimself，likeamanamusedathisownthoughts。
“IsFrancisawakeorasleep？“Mrs。Fairbankinquired。
“Hehasbeenalittlerestless，madam。Butheisnowquietagain。
Ifheisnotdisturbed“Iaddedthosewordstopreventherfromascendingthestairs，“hewillsoonfalloffintoaquietsleep。“
“HasnothinghappenedsinceIwasherelast？“
“Nothing，madam。“
Thedoctorliftedhiseyebrowswithacomicallookofdistress。
“Alas，alas，Mrs。Fairbank！“hesaid。“Nothinghashappened！Thedaysofromanceareover！“
“Itisnottwoo’clockyet，“mymistressanswered，alittleirritably。
Thesmellofthestableswasstrongonthemorningair。Sheputherhandkerchieftohernoseandledthewayoutoftheyardbythenorthentrance——theentrancecommunicatingwiththegardensandthehouse。Iwasorderedtofollowher，alongwiththedoctor。Onceoutofthesmellofthestablesshebegantoquestionmeagain。
Shewasunwillingtobelievethatnothinghadoccurredinherabsence。IinventedthebestanswersIcouldthinkofonthespurofthemoment；andthedoctorstoodbylaughing。Sotheminutespassedtilltheclockstrucktwo。Uponthat，Mrs。FairbankannouncedherintentionofpersonallyvisitingtheEnglishmaninhisroom。Tomygreatrelief，thedoctorinterferedtostopherfromdoingthis。
“YouhaveheardthatFrancisisjustfallingasleep，“hesaid。“Ifyouenterhisroomyoumaydisturbhim。Itisessentialtothesuccessofmyexperimentthatheshouldhaveagoodnight’srest，andthatheshouldownithimself，beforeItellhimthetruth。I
mustrequest，madam，thatyouwillnotdisturbtheman。Rigobertwillringthealarmbellifanythinghappens。“
Mymistresswasunwillingtoyield。Forthenextfiveminutes，atleast，therewasawarmdiscussionbetweenthetwo。IntheendMrs。Fairbankwasobligedtogiveway——forthetime。“Inhalfanhour，“shesaid，“Franciswilleitherbesoundasleep，orawakeagain。InhalfanhourIshallcomeback。“Shetookthedoctor’sarm。Theyreturnedtogethertothehouse。
Leftbymyself，withhalfanhourbeforeme，IresolvedtotaketheEnglishwomanbacktothevillage——then，returningtothestables，toremovethegagandthebindingsfromFrancis，andtolethimscreechtohisheart’scontent。WhatwouldhisalarmingthewholeestablishmentmattertoMEafterIhadgotridofthecompromisingpresenceofmyguest？
ReturningtotheyardIheardasoundlikethecreakingofanopendooronitshinges。ThegateofthenorthentranceIhadjustclosedwithmyownhand。Iwentroundtothewestentrance，atthebackofthestables。ItopenedonafieldcrossedbytwofootpathsinMr。Fairbank’sgrounds。Thenearestfootpathledtothevillage。Theotherledtothehighroadandtheriver。
ArrivingatthewestentranceIfoundthedooropen——swingingtoandfroslowlyinthefreshmorningbreeze。Ihadmyselflockedandboltedthatdoorafteradmittingmyfairfriendateleveno’clock。Avaguedreadofsomethingwrongstoleitswayintomymind。Ihurriedbacktothestables。
Ilookedintomyownroom。Itwasempty。Iwenttotheharnessroom。Notasignofthewomanwasthere。Ireturnedtomyroom，andapproachedthedooroftheEnglishman’sbedchamber。Wasitpossiblethatshehadremainedthereduringmyabsence？Anunaccountablereluctancetoopenthedoormademehesitate，withmyhandonthelock。Ilistened。Therewasnotasoundinside。I
calledsoftly。Therewasnoanswer。Idrewbackastep，stillhesitating。Inoticedsomethingdarkmovingslowlyinthecrevicebetweenthebottomofthedoorandtheboardedfloor。Snatchingupthecandlefromthetable，Ihelditlow，andlooked。Thedark，slowlymovingobjectwasastreamofblood！
Thathorridsightrousedme。Iopenedthedoor。TheEnglishmanlayonhisbed——aloneintheroom。Hewasstabbedintwoplaces——
inthethroatandintheheart。Theweaponwasleftinthesecondwound。ItwasaknifeofEnglishmanufacture，withahandleofbuckhornasgoodasnew。
Iinstantlygavethealarm。Witnessescanspeaktowhatfollowed。
ItismonstroustosupposethatIamguiltyofthemurder。IadmitthatIamcapableofcommittingfollies:butIshrinkfromthebareideaofacrime。Besides，Ihadnomotiveforkillingtheman。
Thewomanmurderedhiminmyabsence。ThewomanescapedbythewestentrancewhileIwastalkingtomymistress。Ihavenomoretosay。IsweartoyouwhatIhaveherewrittenisatruestatementofallthathappenedonthemorningofthefirstofMarch。
Accept，sir，theassuranceofmysentimentsofprofoundgratitudeandrespect。
JOSEPHRIGOBERT。
LASTLINES——ADDEDBYPERCYFAIRBANK
TriedforthemurderofFrancisRaven，JosephRigobertwasfoundNotGuilty；thepapersoftheassassinatedmanpresentedampleevidenceofthedeadlyanimosityfelttowardhimbyhiswife。
Theinvestigationspursuedonthemorningwhenthecrimewascommittedshowedthatthemurderess，afterleavingthestable，hadtakenthefootpathwhichledtotheriver。Theriverwasdragged——
withoutresult。Itremainsdoubtfultothisdaywhethershediedbydrowningornot。Theonethingcertainis——thatAliciaWarlockwasneverseenagain。
So——beginninginmystery，endinginmystery——theDreamWomanpassesfromyourview。Ghost；demon；orlivinghumancreature——sayforyourselveswhichsheis。Or，knowingwhatunfathomedwondersarearoundyou，whatunfathomedwondersareINyou，letthewisewordsofthegreatestofallpoetsbeexplanationenough:
“WearesuchstuffAsdreamsaremadeof，andourlittlelifeIsroundedwithasleep。“
AnonymousTheLostDuchessI
“Hastheduchessreturned？“
“No，yourgrace。“
Knowlescamefartherintotheroom。Hehadaletteronasalver。
Whenthedukehadtakenit，Knowlesstilllingered。Thedukeglancedathim。
“Isananswerrequired？“
“No，yourgrace。“StillKnowleslingered。“Somethingalittlesingularhashappened。Thecarriagehasreturnedwithouttheduchess，andthemensaythattheythoughthergracewasinit。“
“Whatdoyoumean？“
“Ihardlyunderstandmyself，yourgrace。PerhapsyouwouldliketoseeBarnes。“
Barneswasthecoachman。
“Sendhimup。“WhenKnowleshadgone，andhewasalone，hisgraceshowedsignsofbeingslightlyannoyed。Helookedathiswatch。
“Itoldhershe’dbetterbeinbyfour。Shesaysthatshe’snotfeelingwell，andyetonewouldthinkthatshewasnotawareofthefatigueentailedinhavingtheprincecometodinner，andamobofpeopletofollow。Iparticularlywishedhertoliedownforacoupleofhours。“
KnowlesusheredinnotonlyBarnes，thecoachman，butMoysey，thefootman，too。Boththesepersonsseemedtobeillatease。Thedukeglancedatthemsharply。Inhisvoicetherewasasuggestionofimpatience。
“Whatisthematter？“
Barnesexplainedasbesthecould。
“Ifyouplease，yourgrace，wewaitedfortheduchessoutsideCaneandWilson’s，thedrapers。Theduchesscameout，gotintothecarriage，andMoyseyshutthedoor，andhergracesaid，’Home！’andyetwhenwegothomeshewasn’tthere。“