”Ifshesopromises。Butwillyouexactthisfromher?Itsurelycannotbenecessaryformetosaythatyourpresencewilladdinfinitelytothedifficultyofhertask。””YetitisadutyIcannotshirk。Iwillconsultthedoctoraboutit。IwillmakehimseethatIbothunderstandandshallinsistuponmyrightsinthismatter。ButyoumaytellMissDoristhatIwillsitoutofsight，andthatIshallnotobtrudemyselfunlessmynameisbroughtupinanundesirableway。”
Thehandonthedoor-knobmadeasuddenmovement。”Mr。Brotherson，Icanbearnomoreto-night。Withyourpermission，Iwillleavethisquestiontobesettledbyothers。”Andwitharepetitionofhisformerbow，thebereavedfatherwithdrew。
Orlandowatchedhimtillthedoorclosed，thenhetoodroppedhismask。
Butitwasonagain，wheninalittlewhilehepassedthroughthesitting-roomonhiswayupstairs。
Nootherdayinhiswholelifehadbeenlikethistothehardyinventor；forinitbothhisheartandhisconsciencehadbeenawakened，anduptothishourhehadnotreallyknownthathepossessedeither。
WHATISHEMAKING
Otherboxesaddressedto0。Brothersonhadbeenreceivedatthestation，andcarriedtothemysteriousshedinthewoods；andnow，withlockeddoorandliftedtop，theelderbrothercontemplatedhisstoresandpreparedhimselfforwork。
HehadbeenallowedashortinterviewwithOswald，andhehadindulgedhimselfinafewwordswithDoris。Buthehadleftthosememoriesbehindwithotherandmoreseriousmatters。Nothingthatcouldunnervehishandorweakenhisinsightshouldenterthisspotsacredtohisgreathope。Heregeniusreigned。Herehewashimselfwhollyandwithoutflaw；-aTitanwithhisgrasponamechanicalideabymeansofwhichhewouldsoonruletheworld。
Notsohappyweretheothercharactersinthisdrama。Oswald’sthoughts，disturbedforashorttimebythesomewhatconstrainedinterviewhehadheldwithhisbrother，hadflowneastwardagain，insilentloveandlonging；whileDoris，withadoubledreadnowinherheart，wentaboutherdailytasks，prayingforstrengthtoendurethehorrorsofthisweek，withoutbetrayingtheanxietiessecretlydevouringher。Andshewasonlyseventeenandquitealoneinhertrouble。Shemustbearitallunassistedandsmile，whichshedidwithheavenlysweetness，whenthemagicthresholdwaspassedandshestoodinherinvalid’spresence，overshadowedthoughiteverwasbythegreatDread。
AndMr。Challoner?Letthoseendlesswalksofhisthroughthewoodsandoverthehillstellhisstoryiftheycan；orhisrapidlywhiteninghair，andlaggingstep。Hehadbeenastrongmanbeforehistrouble，andhadthestrokewhichlaidhimlowbeenlimitedtoonequick，sharpblowhemighthaverisenaboveitafterawhileandbeenreadytoencounterlifeagain。Butthislongdrawnoutmiserywasprovingtoomuchforhim。ThesightofBrotherson，thoughtheyneverreallymet，actedlikeaciduponawound，anditwasnottillsixdayshadpassedandthedreadedSundaywasathand，thathesleptwithanysenseofrestorwenthiswayaboutthetownwithoutthathaltingatthecornerswhichbetrayedhisperpetualapprehensionofamostundesirableencounter。
Thereasonforthischangewillbeapparentintheshortconversationheheldwithamanhehadcomeupononeeveninginthesmallparkjustbeyondtheworkmen’sdwellings。”YouseeIamhere，”wasthestranger’slowgreeting。”ThankGod，”wasMr。Challoner’sreply。”Icouldnothavefacedto-morrowaloneandIdoubtifMissScottcouldhavefoundtherequisitecourage。Doessheknowthatyouarehere?””Istoppedatherdoor。””Wasthatsafe?””Ithinkso。Mr。Brotherson-theBrooklynone，-isupinhisshed。
Hesleepstherenow，Iamtold，andsoundlytooI’venodoubt。””Whatishemaking?””Whathalftheinventorsonbothsidesofthewaterareengageduponjustnow。Amonoplane，orabiplane，orsomemachineforcarryingmenthroughtheair。Iknow，forIhelpedhimwithit。
Butyou’llfindthatifhesucceedsinthisundertaking，andI
believehewill，nothingshortoffameawaitshim。Hisinventionhasstartlingpoints。ButI’mnotgoingtogivethemaway。I’llbetrueenoughtohimforthat。Asaninventorhehasmysympathy；
but-Well，wewillseewhatweshallsee，to-morrow。YousaythatheisboundtobepresentwhenMissScottrelateshertragicstory。
Hewon’tbetheonlyunseenlistener。I’vemademyownarrangementswithMissScott。IfhefeelstheneedofwatchingherandhisbrotherOswald，Ifeeltheneedofwatchinghim。””Youtakeaburdenofintolerableweightfrommyshoulders。NowI
shallfeeleasieraboutthatinterview。ButIshouldliketoaskyouthis：Doyoufeeljustifiedinthiscontinuedsurveillanceofamanwhohassofrequently，andwithsuchevidentsincerity，declaredhisinnocence?””Idothat。Ifhe’sasguiltlessashesaysheis，mywatchfulnesswon’thurthim。Ifhe’snot，then，Mr。Challoner，I’vebutoneduty；tomatchhisstrengthwithmypatience。Thatmanistheonegreatmysteryoftheday，andmysteriescallforsolution。Atleast，that’sthewayadetectivelooksatit。””MayHeavenhelpyourefforts！””Ishallneeditsassistance，”wasthedryrejoinder。Sweetwaterwasbynomeansblindtothedifficultiesawaitinghim。
XXXII
TELLME，TELLITALL
Thedaywasagreyone，thefirstofthekindinweeks。AsDorissteppedintotheroomwhereOswaldsat，shefelthowmucharayofsunshinewouldhaveencouragedherandyethowtrulytheseleadenskiesandthisdismalatmosphereexpressedthegloomwhichsoonmustfalluponthishopeful，smilingman。
Hesmiledbecauseanymanmustsmileattheentranceofsolovelyawoman，butitwasanabstractedsmile，andDoris，seeingit，felthercouragefalterforamoment，thoughherstepsdidnot，norhersteadycompassionategaze。Advancingslowly，andnotansweringbecauseshedidnothearsomecasualremarkofhis，shetookherstandbyhissideandthenslowlyandwithhereyesonhisface，sankdownuponherknees，stillwithoutspeaking，almostwithoutbreathing。
Hisastonishmentwasevident，forherairwasstrangeandfullofpresage，-as，indeed，shehadmeantittobe。Butheremainedassilentasshe，onlyreachedouthisemaciatedhandand，layingitonherhead，smiledagainbutthistimefarfromabstractedly。
Then，ashesawhercheekspaleinterrorofthetaskbeforeher，heventuredtoaskgently：”Whatisthematter，child?Soweary，eh?Nothingworsethanthat，Ihope。””Areyouquitestrongthismorning?Strongenoughtolistentomytroubles；strongenoughtobearyourownifGodseesfittosendthem?”camehesitatinglyfromherlipsasshewatchedtheeffectofeachword，inbreathlessanxiety。”Troubles?Therecanbebutonetroubleforme，”washisunexpectedreply。”ThatIdonotfear-willnotfearinmyhourofhappyrecovery。SolongasEdithiswell-Doris！Doris！Youalarmme。
Edithisnotill；-notill?”
Thepoorchildcouldnotanswersavewithhersympatheticlookandhalting，tremulousbreath；andthesesigns，hewouldnot，couldnotread，hisownwordshadmadesuchanechoinhisears。”Ill！IcannotimagineEdithill。Ialwaysseeherinmythoughts，asIsawheronthatdayofourfirstmeeting；aperfect，animatedwomanwiththejoyouslookofaglad，harmoniousnature。Nothinghasevercloudedthatvision。IfshewereillIwouldhaveknownit。Wearesotrulyonethat-Doris，Doris，youdonotspeak。Youknowthedepthofmylove，theterrorofmythoughts。IsEdithill?”
Theeyesgazingwildlyintohis，slowlylefthisfaceandraisedthemselvesaloft，withasublimelook。Wouldheunderstand?Yes，heunderstood，andthecrywhichrangfromhislipsstoppedforamomentthebeatingofmorethanoneheartinthatlittlecottage。”Dead！”heshriekedout，andfellbackfaintinginhischair，hislipsstillmurmuringinsemi-unconsciousness，”Dead！dead！”
Dorissprangtoherfeet，thinkingofnothingbuthiswavering，slippinglifetillshesawhisbreathreturn，hiseyesrefillwithlight。Thenthehorrorofwhatwasyettocome-theanswerwhichmustbegiventothehowshesawtremblingonhislips，causedhertosinkagainuponherkneesinanunconsciousappealforstrength。
Ifthatonesadrevelationhadbeenall！
Buttherestmustbetold；hisbrotherexacteditandsodidthesituation。Furtherwaiting，furtherhidingofthetruthwouldbeinsupportableafterthis。Butoh，thebitternessofit！Nowonderthatsheturnedawayfromthosefrenzied，wildly-demandingeyes。”Doris?”
Shetrembledandlookedbehindher。Shehadnotrecognisedhisvoice。Hadanotherentered?Hadhisbrotherdared-No，theywerealone；seeminglyso，thatis。Sheknew，-noonebetter-thattheywerenotreallyalone，thatwitnesseswerewithinhearing，ifnotwithinsight。”Doris，”heurgedagain，andthistimesheturnedinhisdirectionandgazed，aghast。Ifthevoicewerestrange，whatofthefacewhichnowconfrontedher。Theravagesofsicknesshadbeenmarked，buttheywerenothingtothosemadeinaninstantbyablastinggrief。Shewasstartled，althoughexpectingmuch，andcouldonlypresshishandswhileshewaitedforthequestionhewasgatheringstrengthtoutter。Itwassimplewhenitcame；justtwowords：”Howlong?”
Sheansweredthemassimply。”Justaslongasyouhavebeenill，”saidshe；then，withnoattempttobreaktheinevitableshock，shewenton：MissChallonerwasstruckdeadandyouweretakendownwithtyphoidontheself-sameday。””Struckdead！Whydoyouusethatword，struck?Struckdead！she，ayoungwoman。Oh，Doris，anaccident！Mydarlinghasbeenkilledinanaccident！”Theydonotcallitaccident。Theycallitwhatitneverwas。
Whatitneverwas，”sheinsisted，pressinghimbackwithfrightenedhands，ashestrovetorise。”MissChallonerwas-”Hownearlythewordshothadleftherlips。Howfiercelyaboveallelse，inthatharrowingmomenthadrisenthedesiretoflingtheaccusationofthatwordintotheearsofhimwholistenedfromhissecrethiding-place。Butsherefrainedoutofcompassionforthemansheloved，anddeclaredinstead，”MissChallonerdiedfromawound；howgiven，whygiven，nooneknows。Ihadratherhavediedmyselfthanhavetotellyouthis。Oh，Mr。Brotherson，speak，sob，doanythingbut-”
Shestartedback，droppinghishandsasshedidso。Withquickintuitionshesawthathemustbelefttohimselfifheweretomeetthisblowwithoutsuccumbing。Thebodymusthavefreedomifthespiritwouldnotgomad。Conscious，orperhapsnotconscious，ofhisreleasefromherrestraininghand，albeitprofitingbyit，hestaggeredtohisfeet，murmuringthatwordofdoom：”Wound！
wound！mydarlingdiedofawound！Whatkindofawound?”hesuddenlythunderedout。”Icannotunderstandwhatyoumeanbywound。Makeitcleartome。Makeitcleartomeatonce。IfI
mustbearthisgrief，letmeknowitswholedepth。LeavenothingtomyimaginationorIcannotanswerformyself。Tellitall，Doris。”
AndDoristoldhim：”Shewasonthemezzaninefloorofthehotelwhereshelives。Shewasseeminglyhappyandhadbeenwritingaletter-alettertomewhichtheyneverforwarded。Therewasnooneelsebybutsomestrangers-goodpeoplewhomonemustbelieve。Shewascrossingthefloorwhensuddenlyshethrewupherhandsandfell。Athin，narrowpaper-cutterwasinhergrasp；anditflewintothelobby。
Somesayshestruckherselfwiththatcutter；forwhentheypickedheruptheyfoundawoundinherbreastwhichthatcuttermighthavemade。””Edith?never！”
Thewordswerechokinglysaid；hewasswaying，almostfalling，buthesteadiedhimself。”Whosaysthat?”heasked。”Itwasthecoroner’sverdict。””Andshediedthatway-died?””Immediately。””Afterwritingtoyou?””Yes。””Whatwasinthatletter?””Nothingofthreat，theysay。Onlyjustcheerandexpressionsofhope。Justliketheothers，Mr。Brotherson。”