”Aremarkableman！”Itwasnotmyhusbandspeaking，butsomepasserby。However，I
lookedupatGeorgewithasmile，andfoundhimlookingdownatmewithmuchthesamehumour。Wehadoftenspokenoftheoddphrasesonehearsinthestreet，andhowinterestingitwouldbesometimestohearalittlemoreoftheconversation。”That’sacaseinpoint，”helaughed，asheguidedmethroughthecrowdoftheatre-goerswhichinvariablyblockthispartofBroadwayatthehourofeight。”Weshallneverknowwhoseeulogywehavejustheard。’Aremarkableman！’Therearenotmanyofthem。””No，”wasmysomewhatindifferentreply。Itwasakeenwinternightandsnowwaspackeduponthewalksinawaytothrowintosharpreliefthefiguresofsuchpedestriansashappenedtobewalkingalone。”Butitseemstomethat，sofarasgeneralappearancegoes，theoneinfrontanswersyourdescriptionmostadmirably。”
Ipointedtoamanhurryingaroundthecornerjustaheadofus。”Yes，he’sremarkablywellbuilt。InoticedhimwhenhecameoutoftheClermont。”Thiswasahotelwehadjustpassed。”Butit’snotonlythat。It’shisheight，hisverystrikingfeatures，hisexpression-”Istoppedsuddenly，grippingGeorge’sarmconvulsivelyinasurpriseheappearedtoshare。Wehadturnedthecornerimmediatelybehindthemanofwhomwewerespeakingandsohadhimstillinfullview。”What’shedoing?”Iasked，inalowwhisper。Wewereonlyafewfeetbehind。”Look！look！don’tyoucallthatcurious?”
Myhusbandstared，thenutteredalow，”Rather。”Themanaheadofus，presentingineveryrespecttheappearanceofagentleman，hadsuddenlystoopedtothekerbandwaswashinghishandsinthesnow，furtively，butwithavigourandpurposewhichcouldnotfailtoarousethestrangestconjecturesinanychanceonlooker。”Pilate！”escapedmylips，inasortofnervouschuckle。ButGeorgeshookhisheadatme。”Idon’tlikeit，”hemuttered，withunusualgravity。”Didyouseehisface?”Thenasthemanroseandhurriedawayfromusdownthestreet，”Ishouldliketofollowhim。Idobelieve-”
Butherewebecameawareofaquickrushandsuddenclamouraroundthecornerwehadjustleft，andturningquickly，sawthatsomethinghadoccurredonBroadwaywhichwasfastcausingatumult。”What’sthematter?”Icried。”Whatcanhavehappened?Let’sgosee，George。Perhapsithassomethingtodowithourman。
Myhusband，withafinalglancedownthestreetatthefastdisappearingfigure，yieldedtomyimportunity，andpossiblytosomenewcuriosityofhisown。”I’dliketostopthatmanfirst，”saidhe。”ButwhatexcusehaveI?Hemaybenothingbutacrank，withsomecrack-brainedideainhishead。We’llsoonknow；forthere’scertainlysomethingwrongthereonBroadway。””HecameoutoftheClermont，”Isuggested。”Iknow。Iftheexcitementisn’tthere，whatwe’vejustseenissimplyacoincidence。”Then，asweretracedourstepstothecorner”Whateverwehearorsee，don’tsayanythingaboutthisman。It’saftereight，remember，andwepromisedAdelathatwewouldbeatthehousebeforenine。””I’llbequiet。””Remember。”
Itwasthelastwordhehadtimetospeakbeforewefoundourselvesinthemidstofacrowdofmenandwomen，jostlingoneanotherincuriosityorintheconsternationfollowingaquickalarm。Allwerelookingoneway，and，asthiswastowardstheentranceoftheClermont，itwasevidentenoughtousthatthealarmhadindeedhaditsoriginintheveryplacewehadanticipated。Ifeltmyhusband’sarmpressmeclosertohissideasweworkedourwaytowardstheentrance，andpresentlycaughtawarningsoundfromhislipsastheoathsandconfusedcrieseverywheresurroundinguswerebrokenhereandtherebyarticulatewordsandweheard：”Isitmurder?””ThebeautifulMissChalloner！””Amillionairessinherownright！””Killed，theysay。””No，no！suddenlydead；that’sall。””George，whatshallwedo?”Imanagedtocryintomyhusband’sear。”Getoutofthis。Thereisnochanceofourreachingthatdoor，andIcan’thaveyoustandingroundanylongerinthisicyslush。””But-butisitright?”Iurged，inanimportunatewhisper。”Shouldwegohomewhilehe-””Hush！Myfirstdutyistoyou。Wewillgomakeourvisit；butto-morrow-””Ican’twaittillto-morrow，”Ipleaded，wildtosatisfymycuriosityinregardtoaneventinwhichInaturallyfeltakeenpersonalinterest。
Hedrewmeasneartotheedgeofthecrowdashecould。Therewerenewmurmursallaboutus。”Ifit’sacaseofheart-failure，whysendforthepolice?”askedone。”Itisbettertohaveanofficerortwohere，”grumbledanother。”Herecomesacop。””Well，I’mgoingtovamoose。””I’lltellyouwhatI’lldo，”whisperedGeorge，who，forallhisblusterwasascuriousasmyself。”Wewilltrythereardoorwheretherearefewerpersons。Possiblywecanmakeourwayinthere，andifwecan，Slaterwilltellusallwewanttoknow。”
SlaterwastheassistantmanageroftheClermont，andoneofGeorge’soldestfriends。”Thenhurry，”saidI。”Iambeingcrushedhere。”
Georgedidhurry，andinafewminuteswewerebeforetherearentranceofthegreathotel。Therewasamobgatheredherealso，butitwasneithersolargenorsoroughastheoneonBroadway。
YetIdoubtifweshouldhavebeenabletoworkourwaythroughitifSlaterhadnot，atthatveryinstant，shownhimselfinthedoorway，incompanywithanofficertowhomhewasgivingsomefinalinstructions。Georgecaughthiseyeassoonashewasthroughwiththeman，andventuredonwhatIthoughtaratheruncalledforplea。”Letusin，Slater，”hebegged。”Mywifefeelsalittlefaint；shehasbeenknockedaboutsobythecrowd。”
Themanagerglancedatmyface，andshoutedtothepeoplearoundustomakeroom。Ifeltmyselfliftedup，andthatisallIrememberofthispartofouradventure。For，affectedmorethanIrealisedbytheexcitementoftheevent，InosoonersawthewayclearedforourentrancethanImadegoodmyhusband’swordsbyfaintingawayinearnest。
WhenIcameto，itwassuddenlyandwithperfectrecognitionofmysurroundings。ThesmallreceptionroomtowhichIhadbeentakenwasoneIhadoftenvisited，anditsfamiliarfeaturesdidnotholdmyattentionforamoment。WhatIdidseeandwelcomewasmyhusband’sfacebendingcloseoverme，andtohimIspokefirst。Mywordsmusthavesoundedoddlytothoseabout。”Havetheytoldyouanythingaboutit?”Iasked。”Didhe-”
Aquickpressureonmyarmsilencedme，andthenInoticedthatwewerenotalone。Twoorthreeladiesstoodnear，watchingme，andonehadevidentlybeenusingsomerestorative，forsheheldasmallvinaigretteinherhand。Tothislady，Georgemadehastetointroduceme，andfromherIpresentlylearnedthecauseofthedisturbanceinthehotel。
ItwasofasomewhatdifferentnaturefromwhatIexpected，andduringtherecital，IcouldnotpreventmyselffromcastingfurtiveandinquiringglancesatGeorge。
Edith，thewell-knowndaughterofMosesChalloner，hadfallensuddenlydeadonthefloorofthemezzanine。Shewasnotknowntohavebeeninpoorhealth，stilllessindangerofafatalattack，andtheshockwasconsequentlygreattoherfriends，severalofwhomwereinthebuilding。Indeed，itwaslikelytoproveashocktothewholecommunity，forshehadgreatclaimstogeneraladmiration，andherdeathmustberegardedasacalamitytopersonsinallstationsoflife。
Irealisedthismyself，forIhadheardmuchoftheyounglady’sprivatevirtues，aswellasofhergreatbeautyanddistinguishedmanner。Aheavyloss，indeed，but-”Wasshealonewhenshefell?”Iasked。”Virtuallyalone。Somepersonssatontheothersideoftheroom，readingatthebigroundtable。Theydidnotevenhearherfall。
Theysaythatthebandwasplayingunusuallyloudinthemusicians’
gallery。””Areyoufeelingquitewell，now?””Quitemyself，”IgratefullyrepliedasIroseslowlyfromthesofa。Then，asmykindinformersteppedaside，IturnedtoGeorgewiththeproposalweshouldgonow。
Heseemedasanxiousasmyselftoleaveandtogetherwemovedtowardsthedoor，whilethehumofexcitedcommentwhichtheintrusionofafaintingwomanhadundoubtedlyinterrupted，recommencedbehindustillthewholeroombuzzed。
InthehallweencounteredMr。Slater，whomIhavebeforementioned。
Hewastryingtomaintainorderwhilehimselfinastateofgreatagitation。Seeingus，hecouldnotrefrainfromwhisperingafewwordsintomyhusband’sear。”Thedoctorhasjustgoneup-herdoctor，Imean。He’ssimplydumbfounded。SaysthatshewasthehealthiestwomaninNewYorkyesterday-Ithink-don’tmentionit，thathesuspectssomethingquitedifferentfromheartfailure。””Whatdoyoumean?”askedGeorge，followingtheassistantmanagerdownthebroadflightofstepsleadingtotheoffice。Then，asI
pressedupclosetoMr。Slater’sotherside，”Shewasbyherself，wasn’tshe，inthehalffloorabove?””Yes，andhadbeenwritingaletter。Shefellwithitstillinherhand。””Havetheycarriedhertoherroom?”Ieagerlyinquired，glancingfearfullyupatthelargesemi-circularopeningsoverlookingusfromtheplacewhereshehadfallen。”Notyet。Mr。Hammondinsistsuponwaitingforthecoroner。”Mr。
Hammondwastheproprietorofthehotel。”Sheislyingononeofthebigcouchesnearwhichshefell。Ifyoulike，Icangiveyouaglimpseofher。Shelooksbeautiful。It’sterribletothinkthatsheisdead。”
Idon’tknowwhyweconsented。Wewereunderaspell，Ithink。Atallevents，weacceptedhisofferandfollowedhimupanarrowstaircaseopentoveryfewthatnight。Atthetop，heturneduponuswithawarninggesturewhichIhardlythinkweneeded，andledusdownanarrowhallflankedbyopeningscorrespondingtothosewehadnotedfrombelow。Atthefurthestonehepausedand，beckoningustohisside，pointedacrossthelobbyintothelargewriting-roomwhichoccupiedthebetterpartofthemezzaninefloor。
Wesawpeoplestandinginvariousattitudesofgriefanddismayaboutacouch，oneendofwhichonlywasvisibletousatthemoment。Thedoctorhadjustjoinedthem，andeveryheadwasturnedtowardshimandeverybodybentforwardinanxiousexpectation。I
rememberthefaceofonegreyhairedoldman。Ishallneverforgetit。Hewasprobablyherfather。Later，Iknewhimtobeso。Herface，evenherform，wasentirelyhiddenfromus，butaswewatchedIhaveoftenthoughtwithwhatheartlesscuriosityasuddenmovementtookplaceinthewholegroup-andforoneinstantastartlingpicturepresenteditselftoourgaze。MissChallonerwasstretchedoutuponthecouch。Shewasdressedasshecamefromdinner，inagownofivory-tintedsatin，relievedatthebreastbyalargebouquetofscarletpoinsettias。Imentionthisadornment，becauseitwaswhatfirstmetanddrewoureyesandtheeyesofeveryoneabouther，thoughtheface，nowquiterevealed，wouldseemtohavethegreaterattraction。Butthecausewasevidentandonenottoberesisted。Thedoctorwaspointingatthesepoinsettiasinhorrorandwithawfulmeaning，andthoughwecouldnothearhiswords，weknewalmostinstinctively，bothfromhisattitudeandthecrieswhichburstfromthelipsofthoseabouthim，thatsomethingmorethanbrokenpetalsanddisorderedlaceshadmethiseyes；thatbloodwasthere-slowlyoozingdropsfromtheheart-whichforsomereasonhadescapedalleyestillnow。
MissChallonerwasdead，notfromunsuspecteddisease，butfromtheviolentattackofsomemurderousweapon；Astherealisationofthisbroughtfreshpanicandbowedtheoldfather’sheadwithemotionsevenmorebitterthanthoseofgrief，IturnedaquestioninglookupatGeorge’sface。
ItwasfixedwithapurposeIhadnotroubleinunderstanding。