”Yes，”cameinfalteringreply。”Hehasheardourvoices；Imustgotohim。””SaythatOrlandowisheshimagoodnight，”smiledherheart’senemy，withabowofinfinitegrace。Sheshuddered，andwashasteningfromtheroomwhenherglancefellonMr。Challoner。Hewaspaleandlookedgreatlydisturbed。Theprospectofbeingleftalonewithamanwhomshehadherselfdenouncedtohimashisdaughter’smurderer，mightproveataxtohisstrengthtowhichshehadnorighttosubjecthim。Pausingwithanappealingair，shemadehimaslightgesturewhichheatonceunderstood。”Iwillaccompanyyouintothehall，”saidhe。”Thenifanythingiswrong，youhavebuttospeakmyname。”
ButOrlandoBrotherson，displeasedbythismove，tookastepwhichbroughthimbetweenthetwo。”Youcanhearherfromhereifshechoosestospeak。There’sapointtobesettledbetweenusbeforeeitherofusleavesthishouse，andthisopportunityisasgoodasanother。Gotomybrother，MissScott；wewillawaityourreturn。”
Aflashfromtheproudbanker’seye；butnodemur，ratheragestureofconsent。Doris，withalookofdeepanxiety，spedaway，andthetwomenstoodfacetoface。
Itwasoneofthosemomentswhichmenrecogniseasmemorable。Whathadtheonetosayortheothertohear，worthyofthispreambleandthemorethandoubtfulrelationinwhichtheystoodeachtoeach?
Mr。Challonerhadmoretimethanheexpectedinwhichtowonderandgirdhimselfforwhateversufferingorshockawaitedhim。For，OrlandoBrotherson，unlikehisusualself，kepthimwaitingwhilehecollectedhisownwits，which，strangetosay，seemedtohavevanishedwiththegirl。
Butthequestionfinallycame。”Mr。Challoner，doyouknowmybrother?””Ihaveneverseenhim。””Doyouknowhim?Doesheknowyou?””Notatall。Wearestrangers。”
Itwassaidhonestly。Theydidnotknoweachother。Mr。Challonerwasquitecorrectinhisstatement。
Buttheotherhadhisdoubts。Whyshouldn’thehave?ThecoincidenceoffindingthismournerifnotavengerofEdithChalloner，inhisowndirectradiusagain，ataspotsodistant，soobscureandsodisconnectedwithanyapparentbusinessreason，wascertainlystartlingenoughunlessthetiecouldbefoundinhisbrother’snameandcloserelationshiptohimself。
He，therefore，allowedhimselftopressthequestion：”Mensometimescorrespondwhodonotknoweachother。YouknewthataBrothersonlivedhere?””Yes。””Andhopedtolearnsomethingaboutme”No；myinterestwassolelywithyourbrother。””Withmybrother?WithOswald?Whatinterestcanyouhaveinhimapartfromme?Oswaldis-”
Suddenlyathoughtname-anunimaginableone；onewithpowertoblanchevenhishardycheekandshakeasoulunassailablebyallsmallemotions。”OswaldBrotherson！”herepeated；addinginunintelligibletonestohimself-”O。B。Thesameinitials！Theyarefollowinguptheseinitials。PoorOswald。”Thenaloud：”Ithardlybecomesme，perhaps，toquestionyourmotivesinthisattemptatmakingmybrother’sacquaintance。IthinkIcanguessthem；butyourlabourwillbewasted。Oswald’sinterestsdonotextendbeyondthistown；theyhardlyextendtome。Wearestrangers，almost。Youwilllearnnothingfromhimonthesubjectwhichnaturallyengrossesyou。”
Mr。Challonersimplybowed。”Idonotfeelcalledupon，”saidhe，”toexplainmyreasonsforwishingtoknowyourbrother。Iwillsimplysatisfyyouuponapointwhichmaywellrouseyourcuriosity。
Yourememberthat-thatmydaughter’slastactwasthewritingofalettertoalittleprotegeeofhers。MissScottwasthatprotegee。
Inseekingher，Icameuponhim。Doyourequiremetosaymoreonthissubject?WaittillIhaveseenMr。OswaldBrothersonandthenperhapsIcandoso。”
Receivingnoanswertothis，Mr。Challonerturnedagaintothemanwhowastheobjectofhisdeepestsuspicions，tofindhimstillinthedazeofthatunimaginablethought，battlingwithit，scoffingatit，succumbingtoitandallwithoutaword。Mr。Challonerwaswithoutclewtothisstruggle，butthemightofitandthemysteryofit，drovehiminextremeagitationfromtheroom。Thoughproofwaslacking，thoughproofmightnevercome，nothingcouldeveralterhisbelieffromthismomentonthatDoriswasrightinherestimateofthisman’sguilt，howeverunsubstantialherreasoningmightappear。
Howfarhemighthavebeencarriedbythisnewconviction；whetherhewouldhaveleftthehousewithoutseeingDorisagainorexchanginganotherwordwiththemanwhoseverypresencestifledhim，hehadnoopportunitytoshow，forbeforehehadtakenanotherstep，heencounteredthehurryingfigureofDoris，whowasreturningtoherguestswithanairofmarkedrelief。”Hedoesnotknowthatyouarehere，”shewhisperedtoMr。Challoner，asshepassedhim。Then，assheagainconfrontedOrlandowhohastenedtodismisshistroubleatherapproach，shesaidquitegaily，”Mr。Brothersonheardyourvoice，andisgladtoknowthatyou’rehere。Hebademegiveyouthiskeyandsaythatyouwouldhavefoundthingsinbettershapeifhehadbeeninconditiontosuperintendtheremovaloftheboxestotheplacehehadpreparedforyoubeforehebecameill。Iwastheonetodothat，”sheadded，controllingheraversionwithmanifesteffort。”WhenMr。BrothersoncametohimselfheaskedifIhadheardaboutanylargeboxeshavingarrivedatthestationshippedtohisname。Isaidthatseveralnoticesofsuchhadcometothehouse。Atwhichherequestedmetoseethattheywerecarriedatoncetothestrangelookingshedhehadhadputupforhiminthewoods。Ithoughtthattheywereforhim，andIsawtothethingmyself。Twoorthreeothershavecomesinceandbeentakentothesameplace。Ithinkyouwillfindnothingbrokenordisturbed；Mr。Brotherson’swishesareusuallyrespected。””Thatisfortunateforme，”wasthecourteousreply。
ButOrlandoBrothersonwasnothimself，notatallhimselfashebowedaformaladieuandpastthedrawn-upsentinel-likefigureofMr。Challoner，withoutamotiononhispartoronthepartofthatgentlemantolightenanexitwhichhadsomethinginitofdoomanddreadpresage。
CHAOS
ItisnotdifficulttounderstandMr。Challoner’sfeelingsoreventhoseofDorisatthemomentofMr。Brotherson’sdeparture。ButwhythischangeinBrothersonhimself?Whythissenseofsomethingnewandterriblerisingbetweenhimandthesuddenlybecloudedfuture?
Letusfollowhimtohislonelyhotel-roomandseeifwecansolvethepuzzle。
Butfirst，doesheunderstandhisowntrouble?Hedoesnotseemto。
Forwhen，hishatthrownaside，hestops，erectandfrowningundertheflaringgas-jethehadnorecollectionoflighting，hisfirstactwastolifthishandtohisheadinagestureofsurprisinghelplessnessforhim，whilesnatchesofbrokensentencesfellfromhislipsamongwhichcouldbeheard：”Whathascometome?Undoneinanhour！Doublyundone！Firstbyafaceandthenbythisthoughtwhichsurelythedevilshavewhisperedtome。Mr。ChallonerandOswald！Whatisthelinkbetweenthem?GreatGod！whatisthelink?Notmyself?Whothenorwhat?”
Flinginghimselfintoachair，heburiedhisfaceinhishands。
Thereweretwodemonstofight-thefirstintheguiseofanangel。
Doris！Unknownyesterday，unknownanhourago；butnow！Hadthereeverbeenaday-anhour-whenshehadnotbeenastheverythrobofhisheart，thelightofhiseyes，andthecrownorallimaginableblisses?
Hewasstartledathisownemotionashecontemplatedherimageinhisfancyandlistenedforthelostechoofthefewwordsshehadspoken-wordssofullofmusicwhentheyreferredtohisbrother，sohardandcoldwhenshesimplyaddressedhimself。
Thiswasnopassingadmirationofyouthforacaptivatingwoman。
ThiswasnoteventhelovehehadgiventoEdithChalloner。Thiswassomethingspringingfull-bornoutofnothing！aforcewhich，forthefirsttimeinhislife，madehimcomplaisanttothenaturalweaknessesofman！adreamandyetarealitystrongenoughtoblotoutthepast，remakethepresent，changetheaspectofallhishopes，andoutlineanewfate。Hedidnotknowhimself。Therewasnothinginhiswholehistorytogivehimanunderstandingofsuchfeelingsasthese。
Canamanbeseizedasitwerebythehair，andswungupontheslopesofparadiseordownthesteepsofhell-withoutaforewarning，withoutthechanceeventosaywhetherhewishedsuchacataclysminhislifeorno?
He，OrlandoBrotherson，hadneverthoughtmuchoflove。Sciencehadbeenhismistress；ambitionhislode-star。Suchfeelingashehadacknowledgedtohadbeenformen-strugglingmen，menwhoweredown-troddenandgaspinginthenarrowboundsofpovertyandhelplessness。MissChallonerhadroused-well，hispride。Hecouldseethatnow。Themightofthisnewemotionmadeplainmanythingshehadpassedbyasuseless，puerile，unworthyofamanofmentalcalibreandmight。HehadneverlovedEdithChalloneratanymomentoftheiracquaintanceship，thoughhehadbeensincereinthinkingthathedid。Doris’beauty，thehourhehadjustpassedwithher，hadundeceivedhim。
Didhehailtheexperience?Itwasnotlikelytobringhimjoy。