”Beseated，MissScott，”heentreated，takingachairhimself。”Youhavedescribedthespotandsomeofthecircumstancesofmydaughter’sdeathasaccuratelyasifyouhadbeenthere。Butyouhavedoubtlessreadafullaccountofthosedetailsinthepapers；possiblyseenpictureswhichwouldmaketheplacequiterealtoyou。Themindisastrangestorehouse。Wedonotalwaysknowwhatlieshiddenwithinit。””That’strue，”sheadmitted。”Buttheman！Ihadneverseentheman，oranypictureofhim，andhisfacewasclearestofall。I
shouldknowitifIsawitanywhere。Itisimprintedonmymemoryasplainlyasyours。Oh，Ihopenevertoseethatman！”
Mr。Challonersighed；hehadreallyanticipatedsomethingfromtheinterview。Thedisappointmentwaskeen。Amomentofexpectation；
thethrillwhichcomestousallundertheshadowofthesupernatural，andthen-this！ayoungandimaginativegirl’sdream，convincingtoherselfbutsupplyingnothingwhichhadnotalreadybeensuppliedbothbythefactsandhisownimagination！Amanhadstoodatthestaircase，andthismanhadraisedhisarm。Shesaidthatshehadseensomethinglikeapistolinhishand，buthisdaughterhadnotbeenshot。Thishethoughtitwelltopointouttoher。
Leaningtowardherthathemightgetherfullattention，hewaitedtillhereyesmethis，thenquietlyasked：”Haveyouevernamedthismantoyourself?”
Shestartedanddroppedhereyes。”Idonotdareto，”saidshe。”Why?””BecauseI’vereadinthepapersthatthemanwhostoodtherehadthesamenameas-””Tellme，MissScott。””AsMr。Brotherson’sbrother。””Butyoudonotthinkitwashisbrother?””Idonotknow。””You’veneverseenhisbrother?””Never。””Norhispicture?”No，Mr。Brothersonhasnone。””Aren’ttheyfriends?DoeshenevermentionOrlando?””Very，veryrarely。ButI’venoreasontothinktheyarenotongoodterms。Iknowtheycorrespond。””MissScott?””Yes，Mr。Challoner。””Youmustnotrelytoomuchuponyourdream。”
Hereyesflashedtohisandthenfellagain。”Dreamsarenotrevelations；theyarethereproductionofwhatalreadylieshiddeninthemind。Icanprovethatyourdreamissuch。””How?”Shelookedstartled。”Youspeakofseeingsomethingbeingleveledatyouwhichmadeyouthinkofapistol。””Yes，Iwaslookingdirectlyintoit。””Butmydaughterwasnotshot。Shediedfromastab。”
Doris’lovelyface，withitstenderlinesandgirlishcurves，tookonastrangelookofconvictionwhichdeepened，ratherthanmeltedunderhisindulgent，butpenetratinggaze。”Iknowthatyouthinkso；-butmydreamsaysno。Isawthisobject。Itwaspointeddirectlytowardsme-aboveall，Isawhisface。Itwasthefaceofonewhosefingerisonthetriggerandwhomeansdeath；andIbelievemydream。”
Well，itwasuselesstoreasonfurther。Gentleinallelse，shewasimmovablesoforasthisideawasconcernedand，seeingthis，heletthemattergoandpreparedtotakehisleave。
Sheseemedtobequitereadyforthis。Anxietyaboutherpatienthadregaineditsplaceinhermindandherglancespedconstantlytowardthedoor。Takingherhandinhis，hesaidsomekindwords，thencrossedtothedoorandopenedit。Instantlyherfingerflewtoherlipsand，obedienttoitssilentinjunction，hetookuphishatinsilence，andwasproceedingdownthehall，whenthebellrang，startlingthembothandcausinghimtostepquicklyback。”Whoisit?”sheasked。”Father’sinandvisitorsseldomcomesolate。””ShallIsee?”
Shenodded，lookingstrangelytroubledasthedoorswungopen，revealingthetall，strongfigureofamanfacingthemfromtheporch。”Astranger，”formeditselfuponherlips，andshewasmovingforward，whenthemansuddenlysteppedintotheglareofthelight，andshestopped，withamurmurofdismaywhichpiercedMr。
Challoner’sheartandpreparedhimforthewordswhichnowfellshudderinglyfromherlips：”Itishe！itishe！IsaidthatIshouldknowhimwhereverI
sawhim。”Thenwithaquietturntowardstheintruder，”Oh，why，why，didyoucomehere！”
DOYOUKNOWMYBROTHER
Herhandswerethrustouttorepel，herfeatureswerefixed；herbeautysomethingwonderful。OrlandoBrotherson，thusmet，staredforamomentatthevisionbeforehim，thenslowlyandwitheffortwithdrawinghisgaze，hesoughtthefaceofMr。Challonerwiththefirstsignofopendisturbancethatgentlemanhadeverseeninhim。”Ah，”saidhe，”mywelcomeisreadilyunderstood。Iseeyoufarfromhome，sir。”AndwithanironicalbowheturnedagaintoDoris，whohaddroppedherhands，butinwhosecheeksthepallorstilllingeredinawaytochecktheeasyflowofwordswithwhichhemighthavesoughttocarryoffthesituation。”AmIinOswaldBrotherson’shouse?”heasked。”Iwasdirectedhere。Butpossiblytheremaybesomemistake。””Itisherehelives，”saidshe；movingbackautomaticallytillshestoodagainbythethresholdofthesmallroominwhichshehadreceivedMr。Challoner。”Doyouwishtoseehimto-night?Ifso，Ifearitisimpossible。Hehasbeenveryillandisnotallowedtoreceivevisitsfromstrangers。””Iamnotastranger，”announcedthenewcomer，withasmilefewcouldseeunmoved，itofferedsuchacontrasttohissternanddominatingfigure。”IthoughtIheardsomewordsofrecognitionwhichwouldproveyourknowledgeofthatfact。”
Shedidnotanswer。Herlipshadparted，butherthoughtoratleasttheexpressionofherthoughthungsuspendedintheterrorofthismeetingforwhichshewasnotatallprepared。Heseemedtonotethisterror，whetherornotheunderstooditscause，andsmiledagain，asheadded：”Mr。BrothersonmusthavespokenofhisbrotherOrlando。Iamhe，MissScott。Willyouletmecomeinnow?”
HereyessoughtthoseofMr。Challoner，whoquietlynodded。
Immediatelyshesteppedfrombeforethedoorwhichherfigurehadguardedand，motioninghimtoenter，shebeggedMr。Challoner，withanimploringlook，tosustainherintheinterviewshesawbeforeher。Hehadnodesireforthisencounter，especiallyasMr。
Brotherson’sglanceinhisdirectionhadbeenanythingbutconciliatory。Hewasquiteconvincedthatnothingwastobegainedbyit，buthecouldnotresistherappeal，andfollowedthemintothelittleroomwhoselimiteddimensionsmadethetallOrlandolookbiggerandstrongerandmorelordlyinhisself-confidencethanever。”Iamsorryitissolate，”shebegan，contemplatinghisintrusivefigurewithforcedcomposure。”Wehavetobeveryquietintheeveningssoasnottodisturbyourbrother’sfirstsleepwhichisofgreatimportancetohim。””ThenI’mnottoseehimto-night?””Iprayyoutowait。He’s-he’sbeenaverysickman。””Dangerouslyso?””Yes。”
Orlandocontinuedtoregardherwithapeculiarawakeninggaze，showing，Mr。Challonerthought，moreinterestinherthaninhisbrother，andwhenhespokeitwasmechanicallyandasifinsoleobediencetotheproprietiesoftheoccasion。”Ididnotknowhewasilltillverylately。Hislastletterwasacheerfulone，andIsupposedthatallwasrighttillchancerevealedthetruth。Icameonatonce。Iwasintendingtocomeanyway。Ihavebusinesshere，asyouprobablyknow，MissScott。”
Sheshookherhead。”Iknowverylittleaboutbusiness，”saidshe。”Mybrotherhasnottoldyouwhyheexpectedme?””Hehasnoteventoldmethatheexpectedyou。””No?”Thewordwashighlyexpressive；therewassurpriseinitandatouchofwonder，butmorethanall，satisfaction。”Oswaldwasalwaysclose-mouthed，”hedeclared。”It’sagoodfault；I’mobligedtotheboy。”
Theselastwordswereutteredwithalightnesswhichimposeduponhistwohighlyagitatedhearers，causingMr。ChallonertofrownandDoristoshrinkbackinindignationatthemanwhocouldindulgeinasportivesuggestioninpresenceofsuchfears，ifnotofsuchmemories，asthesituationevoked。Buttoonewhoknewthestrongandself-containedman-toSweetwaterpossibly，hadhebeenpresent，-therewasinthisveryattempt-inhisquietmannerandinthestrangeandfitfulflashofhisordinarilyquickeye，thatwhichshowedhewaslabouring-andhadbeenlabouringalmostfromhisfirstentrance，underanexcitementofthoughtandfeelingwhichinoneofhispowerfullyorganisednaturemustendandthatsooninanoutburstofmysteriouspassionwhichwouldcarryeverythingbeforeit。Buthedidnotmeanthatitshouldhappenhere。Hewastooaccustomedtoself-commandtoforgethimselfinthispresence。Hewouldholdtheserampantdogsinleashtillthehourofsolitude；
then-aglitteringsmiletwistedhislipsashecontinuedtogaze，firstatthegirlwhohadjustenteredhislife，andthenatthemanhehadeveryreasontodistrust，andwiththatfirmrestraintuponhimselfstillinfullforce，remarked，withacourteousinclination：”Thehourislateforfurtherconversation。Ihavearoomatthehotelandwillreturntoitatonce。InthemorningIhopetoseemybrother。”
Hewasgoing，Dorisnotknowingwhattosay，Mr。Challonernotdesirousofdetaininghim，whentherecamethesoundofalittletinklefromtheothersideofthehall，blanchingtheyounggirl’scheeksandcausingOrlandoBrotherson’sbrowstoriseinpeculiarsatisfaction。”Mybrother?”heasked。