Thisyounggirlwhoseimagefloatedinlightbeforehiseyes，wouldneverlovehim。Shelovedhisbrother。Hehadheardtheirnamesmentionedtogetherbeforehehadbeenintownanhour。Oswald，thecleverestman，Doris，themostbeautifulgirlinWesternPennsylvania。
Hehadacceptedthegossipthen；hehadnotseenheranditallseemedverynatural；-hardlyworthamoment’sthought。Butnow！
Andhere，theotherDemonsprangerectandgrappledwithhimbeforethefirstonehadletgohishold。OswaldandChalloner！Thesecret，unknownsomethingwhichhadsoftenedthathardman’seyewhenhisbrother’snamewasmentioned！Hehadnoteditandrealisedthemystery；amysterybeforewhichsleepandrestmustfly；amysterytowhichhemustnowgivehisthought，whateverthecost，whateverthelosstothoseheavenlydreamsthemagicofwhichwassonewitseemedtoenvelopehiminthebalmofParadise。Away，then，imageoflight！Letthefacultiesthouhastdazed，actagain。
ThereismorethanFate’scapriceinChalloner’sinterestinamanheneversaw。Ghostsofoldmemoriesriseanddemandahearing。
Facts，trivialandcommonplaceenoughtohavebeenlostinoblivionwiththedaywhichgavethembirth，throngagainfromthepast，provingthatnoughtdieswithoutapossibilityofresurrection。
Theirpoweroverthisbroodingmanisshownbytheforcewithwhichhisfingerscrushagainsthisbowedforehead。OswaldandChalloner！
Hadhefoundtheconnectinglink?Haditbeen-couldithavebeenEdith?Thepreposterousissometimestrue；coulditbetrueinthiscase?
HerecalledthelettersreadtohimashersinthatroomofhisinBrooklyn。Hehadhardlynotedthemthen，hewassosureoftheirbeingforgeries，gottenupbythepolicetomisleadhim。Couldtheyhavebeenreal，theeffusionsofhermind，thebreathingsofherheart，directedtoanactual0。B。，andthat0。B。，hisbrother?
Theyhadnotbeenmeantforhim。Hehadreadenoughofthemawkishlinestobesureofthat。Noneoftheallusionsfittedinwiththefactsoftheirmutualintercourse。Buttheymightwiththoseofanotherman；theymightwiththepossibleactsandaffectionsofOswaldwhosetemperamentwaswhollydifferentfromhisandwhomighthavelovedher，shoulditeverbeshownthattheyhadmetandknowneachother。Andthiswasnotanimpossibility。Oswaldhadbeeneast，OswaldhadevenbeenintheBerkshiresbeforehimself。Oswald-WhyitwasOswaldwhohadsuggestedthatheshouldgothere-gowhereshestillwas。Whythissecondcoincidence，iftherewerenotie-iftheChallonersandOswaldwereasfarapartastheyseemedandasconventionalitieswouldnaturallyplacethem。Oswaldwasasentimentalist，butveryreservedabouthissentimentalities。Ifthesesuppositionsweretrue，hehadhadasentimentalist’smotiveforwhathedid。AsOrlandorealisedthis，herosefromhisseat，aghastatthepossibilitiesconfrontinghimfromthislineofthought。Shouldhecontemplatethem?Riskhisreasonbydwellingonasuppositionwhichmighthavenofoundationinfact?No。Hisbrainwastoofull-hispurposestooimportantforanyunnecessarystraintobeputuponhisfaculties。Nothinking！investigationfirst。Mr。Challonershouldbeabletosettlethisquestion。Hewouldseehim。Evenatthislatehourheoughttobeabletofindhiminoneoftheroomsbelow；and，bytheyforceofanirresistibledemand，learninamomentwhetherhehadtodowithamerechimeraofhisownoverwroughtfancy，orwithafactwhichwouldcallintoplayalltheresourcesofanhithertounconqueredandundauntednature。
Therewasawood-fireburninginthesitting-roomthatnight，andarounditwasgroupedanumberofmenwiththeirpapersandpipes。
Mr。Brotherson，entering，naturallylookedthatwayforthemanhewasinsearchof，andwasdisappointednottofindhimthere；butoncastinghisglanceselsewhere，hewasrelievedtoseehimstandinginoneofthewindowsoverlookingthestreet。Hisbackwastotheroomandheseemedtobelostinafitofabstraction。
AsOrlandocrossedtohim，hehadtimetoobservehowmuchwhiterwasthisman’sheadthaninthelastinterviewhehadheldwithhiminthecoroner’sofficeinNewYork。Butthisevidenceofgriefinonewithwhomhehadlittle，ifanything，incommon，neithertouchedhisfeelingsnordeterredhisstep。Theawakeningofhishearttonewandprofoundemotionshadnotsoftenedhimtowardsthesufferingsofothersifthoseothersstoodwithoutthepalehehadpreviouslyraisedasthelegitimateboundaryofajustman’ssympathies。
Hewas，asIhavesaid，anextraordinaryspecimenofmanlyvigourinbodyandinmind，andhispresenceinanycompanyalwaysattractedattentionandroused，ifitneversatisfied，curiosity。
ConversationaccordinglyceasedashestrodeuptoMr。Challoner’sside，sothathiswordswerequiteaudibleasheaddressedthatgentlemanwithasomewhatcurt：”Youseemeagain，Mr。Challoner。MayIbegofyouafewminutes’
furtherconversation?Iwillnotdetainyoulong。”
Thegreyheadturned，andthemanyeyeswatchingshowedsurpriseattheexpressionofdislikeandrepulsionwithwhichthisNewYorkgentlemanmettherequestthusemphaticallyurged。Buthisanswerwascourteousenough。IfMr。Brothersonknewaplacewheretheywouldbeleftundisturbed，hewouldlistentohimifhewouldbeverybrief。
Forreply，theotherpointedtoasmallroomquiteunoccupiedwhichopenedoutoftheoneinwhichtheythenstood。Mr。Challonerbowedandinanothermomentthedoordoseduponthem，totheinfinitedisappointmentofthemenaboutthehearth。”Whatdoyouwishtoask?”wasMr。Challoner’simmediateinquiry。”This；Imakenoapologiesandexpectinanswernothingmorethananunequivocalyesorno。Youtellmethatyouhavenevermetmybrother。Canthatbesaidoftheothermembersofyourfamily-ofyourdeceaseddaughter，infact?””No。””ShewasacquaintedwithOswaldBrotherson?””Shewas。””Withoutyourknowledge?””Entirelyso。””Correspondedwithhim?””Notexactly。””How，notexactly?””Hewrotetoher-occasionally。Shewrotetohimfrequently-butsheneversentherletters。””Ah！”
Theexclamationwassharp，shortandconveyedlittle。Yetwithitsescape，thewholescaffoldingofthisman’sholduponlifeandhisownfatewentdowninindistinguishablechaos。Mr。Challonerrealisedasenseofhavoc，thoughtheeyesbentuponhiscountenancehadnotwavered，northestalwartfiguremoved。”Ihavereadsomeofthoseletters，”theinventorfinallyacknowledged。”Thepolicetookgreatpainstoplacethemundermyeye，supposingthemtohavebeenmeantformebecauseoftheinitialswrittenonthewrapper。ButtheyweremeantforOswald。
Youbelievethatnow?””Iknowit。””AndthatiswhyIfoundyouinthesamehousewithhim。””Itis。Providencehasrobbedmeofmydaughter；ifthisbrotherofyoursshouldprovetobethemanIamledtoexpect，Ishallaskhimtotakethatplaceinmyheartandlifewhichwasoncehers。”
Aquickrecoil，asmotheredexclamationonthepartofthemanheaddressed。Abarbhadbeenhiddeninthissimplestatementwhichhadreachedsomedeeply-hiddenbutvulnerablespotinBrotherson’sbreast，whichhadneverbeenpiercedbefore。Hiseyewhichaloneseemedalive，stillrestedpiercinglyuponthatofMr。Challoner，butitslightwasfastfading，andspeedilybecamelostinadimnessinwhichtheotherseemedtoseeextinguishedthelastupflaringembersofthoseinnerfireswhichfeedtheaspiringsoul。
Itwasasightnomancouldseeunmoved。Mr。Challonerturnedsharplyaway，indreadoftheabysswhichthenextwordheutteredmightopenbetweenthem。
ButOrlandoBrothersonpossessedresourcesofstrengthofwhich，possibly，hewasnotawarehimself。WhenMr。Challoner，stillmoreaffectedbythesilencethanbythedreadIhavementioned，turnedtoconfronthimagain，itwastofindhisfeaturescomposedandhisglanceclear。Hehadconqueredalloutwardmanifestationofthemysteriousemotionwhichforaninstanthadlaidhisproudspiritlow。”Youareconsiderateofmybrother，”werethewordswithwhichhere-openedthispainfulconversation。”Youwillnotfindyourconfidencemisplaced。Oswaldisastraightforwardfellow，offewfaults。””Ibelieveit。Nomancanbesouniversallybelovedwithoutsomeverysubstantialclaimstoregard。Iamgladtoseethatyouropinion，thoughgivensomewhatcoldly，coincideswiththatofhisfriends。””Iamnotgiventoexaggeration，”wastheevenreply。
TheflushwhichhadcomeintoMr。Challoner’scheekundertheefforthehadmadetosustainwithunflinchingheroismthisinterviewwiththemanhelookeduponashismortalenemy，slowlyfadedouttillhelookedthewraithofhimselfeventotheunsympatheticeyesofOrlandoBrotherson。Adutylaybeforehimwhichwouldtaxtoitsutmostextenthisalreadygreatlyweakenedself-control。NothingwhichhadyetpassedshowedthatthismanrealisedthefactthatOswaldhadbeenkeptinignoranceofMissChalloner’sdeath。Ifthesebrothersweretomeetonthemorrow，itmustbewiththefullunderstandingthatthisespecialtopicwastobecompletelyavoided。
Butinwhatwordscouldheurgesucharequestuponthisman?Nonesuggestedthemselves，yethehadpromisedMissScottthathewouldensurehissilenceinthisregard，anditwaswiththisdifficultyandnootherhehadbeenstrugglingwhenMr。Brothersoncameuponhimintheotherroom。”Youhavestillsomethingtosay，”suggestedthelatter，asanoppressivesilenceswallowedupthaticysentenceIhavealreadyrecorded。”Ihave，”returnedMr。Challoner，regaininghiscourageundertheexigenciesofthemoment。”MissScottisveryanxioustohaveyourpromisethatyouwillavoidalldisagreeabletopicswithyourbrothertillthedoctorpronounceshimstrongenoughtomeetthetroublewhichawaitshim。””Youmean-””Heisnotasunhappyaswe。Heknowsnothingoftheafflictionwhichhasbefallenhim。Hewastakenill-”Therestwasalmostinaudible。
ButOrlandoBrothersonhadnodifficultyinunderstandinghim，andforthesecondtimeinthisextraordinaryinterview，hegaveevidencesofagitationandofamindshakenfromitsequipoise。
Butonlyforaninstant。Hedidnotshuntheother’sgazeorevenmaintainmorethanamomentarysilence。Indeed，hefoundstrengthtosmile，inacurious，sardonicway，ashesaid：”DoyouthinkIshouldbeapttobroachthissubjectwithanyone，letalonewithhim，whoseconnectionwithitIshallneeddaystorealise?I’mnotsogiventogossip。Besides，heandIhaveothertopicsofinterest。IhaveaninventionreadywithwhichIproposetoexperimentinaplacehehasalreadypreparedforme。Wecantalkaboutthat。”
Theirony，thehardyself-possessionwithwhichthiswassaidstruckMr。Challonertotheheart。Withoutawordhewheeledabouttowardsthedoor。Withoutaword，Brothersonstood，watchinghimgotillhesawhishandfallontheknobwhenhequietlypreventedhisexitbysaying：”Unhappytruthscannotbelongconcealed。Howsoondoesthedoctorthinkmybrothercanbeartheseinevitablerevelations?””Hesaidthismorningthatifhispatientwereaswellto-morrowashispresentconditiongivespromiseof，hemightbetoldinanotherweek。”
Orlandobowedhisappreciationofthisfact，butaddedquickly：”Whoistodothetelling?””Doris。Nobodyelsecouldbetrustedwithsodelicateatask。””Iwishtobepresent。”
Mr。Challonerlookedup，surprisedatthefeelingwithwhichthisrequestwascharged。”Ashisbrother-hisonlyremainingrelative，Ihavethatright。
DoyouthinkthatDor-thatMissScott，canbetrustednottoforestallthatmomentbyanyprevioushintofwhatawaitshim?”