TIME，CIRCUMSTANCE，ANDAVILLAIN’SHEART”Ourfirstdifficultyisthis。Wemustprovemotive。Now，IdonotthinkitwillbesoveryhardtoshowthatthisBrothersoncherishedfeelingsofrevengetowardsMissChalloner。ButIhavetoacknowledgerighthereandnowthatthemostskillfulandvigourouspumpingofthejanitorandsuchothertenantsoftheHicksStreettenementasIhavedaredtoapproach，failstoshowthathehaseverheldanycommunicationwithMrs。Spotts，orevenknewofherexistenceuntilherremarkabledeathattractedhisattention。I
havespentalltheafternoonoverthis，andwithnoresult。A
completebreakinthechainattheverystart。””Humph！wewillsetthatdown，then，assomuchagainstus。””Thenext，andthisisabitterpilltoo，isthealmostinsurmountabledifficultyalreadyrecognisedofdetermininghowaman，withoutapproachinghisvictim，couldmanagetoinflictamortalstabinherbreast。Nocloakofcompleteinvisibilityhasyetbeenfound，evenbythecleverestcriminals。””True。Theproblemissuchasanightmareoffers。Foryearsmydreamshavebeenhauntedbyagnomewhoproposesjustsuchpuzzles。””Butthere’sananswertoeverything，andI’msurethere’sananswertothis。Rememberhisbusiness。He’saninventor，withstartlingideas。SomuchI’veseenformyself。Youmaystretchprobabilitiesalittleinhiscase；andwiththisconceded，wemayaddbywayofoff-settothedifficultiesyoumention，coincidencesoftimeandcircumstance，andhisvillainousheart。Oh，IknowthatIamprejudiced；butwaitandsee！MissChallonerwaswellridofhimevenatthecostofherlife。””Shelovedhim。Evenherfatherbelievesthatnow。Somelatelydiscoveredlettershavecometolighttoprovethatshewasbynomeanssoheartfreeashesupposed。Oneofherfriends，itseems，hasalsoconfidedtohimthatonce，whilesheandMissChallonerweresittingtogether，shecaughtMissChallonerintheactofscribblingcapitalsoverasheetofpaper。TheywereallB’swiththeexceptionofhereandthereaneatlyturned0，andwhenherfriendtwittedherwithherfondnessforthesetwoletters，andsuggestedapleasingmonogram，MissChalloneranswered，’0。B。
transferringtheletters，asyouseearetheinitialsofthefinestmanintheworld。’””Gosh！hasheheardthisstory?””Who?””Thegentlemaninquestion。””Mr。Brotherson?”
Yes。””Idon’tthinkso。Itwastoldmeinconfidence。””Toldyou，Mr。Gryce?Pardonmycuriosity。””ByMr。Challoner。””Oh！byMr。Challoner。””Heisgreatlydistressedathavingthedisgracefulsuggestionofsuicideattachedtohisdaughter’sname。Notwithstandingthecircumstances，-not-withstandinghisfullrecognitionofhersecretpredilectionforamanofwhomhehadneverheardtillthenightofherdeath，hecannotbelievethatshestrucktheblowshedid，intentionally。Hesentformeinordertoinquireifanythingcouldbedonetoreinstateherinpublicopinion。Hedarednotinsistthatanotherhadwieldedtheweaponwhichlaidherlowsosuddenly，butheaskedif，inmyexperience，ithadneverbeenknownthatawoman，hyper-sensitivetosomestrongman’smagneticinfluence，shouldsofollowhisthoughtastocommitanactwhichnevercouldhaveariseninherownmind，uninfluenced。HeevidentlydoesnotlikeBrothersoneither。””Andwhat-whatdidyou-say?”askedSweetwater，withahaltingutteranceandhisfacefullofthought。”Isimplyquotedthelatestauthorityonhypnotismthatnopersoneveninhypnoticsleepcouldbeinfluencedbyanothertodowhatwasantagonistictohisnaturalinstincts。””Latestauthority。Thatdoesn’tmeanafinalone。Supposingthatitwashypnotism！Butthatwouldn’taccountforMrs。Spotts’death。
Herwoundcertainlywasnotaself-inflictedone。””Howcanyoubesure?””Therewasnoweaponfoundintheroom，orinthecourt。Thesnowwassearchedandthechildrentoo。Noweapon，Mr。Gryce，notevenapaper-cutter。Besides-buthowdidMr。Challonertakewhatyousaid?Washesatisfiedwiththisassurance?””Hehadtobe。Ididn’tdaretoholdoutanyhopebasedonsounsubstantialatheory。Buttheinterviewhadthiseffectuponme。
IfthepossibilityremainsoffixingguiltelsewherethanonMissChalloner’sinconsiderateimpulse，Iamreadytodevoteanyamountoftimeandstrengthtothework。ToseethisgrievingfatherrelievedfromtheworstpartofhisburdenisworthsomeeffortandnowyouknowwhyIhavelistenedsoeagerlytoyou。Sweetwater，I
willgowithyoutotheSuperintendent。Wemaynotgainhisattentionandagainwemay。Ifwedont-butwewon’tcrossthatbridgeprematurely。Whenwillyoubereadyforthisbusiness?””ImustbeatHeadquartersto-morrow。””Good，thenletitbeto-morrow。Ataxicab，Sweetwater。Thesubwayfortheyoung。Icannolongermanagethestairs。”
ACONCESSION”Itistrue；thereseemstobesomethingextraordinaryinthecoincidence。”
ThusMr。Brotherson，inthepresenceoftheInspector。”Butthatisallthereistoit，”heeasilyproceeded。”IknewMissChallonerandIhavealreadysaidhowmuchandhowlittleI
hadtodowithherdeath。TheotherwomanIdidnotknowatall；
Ididnotevenknowhername。Aprosecutionbasedongroundssoflimsyasthoseyouadvancewouldsavourofpersecution，woulditnot?
TheInspector，surprisedbythisunexpectedattack，regardedthespeakerwithaninterestratheraugmentedthandiminishedbyhisboldness。Thesmilewithwhichhehadutteredtheseconcludingwordsyetlingeredonhislips，lightingupfeaturesofamouldtoosuggestiveofcommandtobeassociatedreadilywithguilt。Thattheimpressionthusproducedwasfavourable，wasevidentfromthetoneoftheInspector’sreply：”Wehavesaidnothingaboutprosecution，Mr。Brotherson。Wehopetoavoidanysuchextrememeasures，andthatwemaythemorereadilydoso，wehavegivenyouthisopportunitytomakesuchexplanationsasthesituation，whichyouyourselfhavecharacterisedasremarkable，seemstocallfor。””Iamready。ButwhatamIcalledupontoexplain?Ireallycannotsee，sir。Knowingnothingmoreabouteithercasethanyoudo，I
fearthatIshallnotaddmuchtoyourenlightenment。””Youcantelluswhywithyourseemingcultureandobviousmeans，youchoosetospendsomuchtimeinasecond-ratetenementliketheoneinHicksStreet。”
Againthatchillsmileprecedingthequietanswer：”Haveyouseenmyroomthere?Itispiledtotheceilingwithbooks。
WhenIwasapoorman，Ichosetheabodesuitedtomypurseandmypassionforfirst-ratereading。AsIgrewbetteroff，mytimebecamedailymorevaluable。IhaveneverseenthehourwhenIfeltlikemovingthatpreciouscollection。Besides，Iamamanofthepeople。
Iliketheworkingclass，andamwillingtobethoughtoneofthem。
Icanfindtimetotalktoahard-pushedmechanicaseasilyastosuchmembersofthemoneyedclassasIencounteronstrayeveningsattheHotelClermontIhaveled-ImaysaythatIamleading-adoublelife；butofneitheramIashamed，norhaveIcausetobe。
LovedrovemetoapethegentlemaninthehallsoftheClermont；abroadhumaninterestintheworkoftheworld，toliveasafellowamongthemechanicsofHicksStreet。””Butwhymakeuseofonenameasagentlemanofleisureandquiteadifferentoneasthehonestworkman?””Ah，thereyoutouchuponmyrealsecret。Ihaveareasonforkeepingmyidentityquiettillmyinventioniscompleted。””Areasonconnectedwithyouranarchistictendencies?””Possibly。”Butthewordwasutteredinawaytocarrylittleconviction。”Iamnotmuchofananarchist，”henowtookthetroubletodeclare，withacarelessliftofhisshoulders。”Ilikefairplay，butIshallnevergiveyoumuchtroublebymymannerofinsuringit。Ihavetoomuchatstake。Myinventionisdearertomethantheoverthrowofpresentinstitutions。Nothingmuststandinthewayofitssuccess，noteventhesatisfactionofinspiringterrorinmindsshuttoeveryotherspeciesofargument。Ihaveutteredmylastspeech；youcanrelyonmeforthat。”Wearegladtohearit，Mr。Dunn。Physicaloverthrowcarriesmorethantheimmediatesuffererwithit。”