”Andtheyaccuseheroftakingherownlife?Theirverdictisalie。Theydidnotknowher。”Then，aftersomemomentsofwildandconfusedfeeling，hedeclared，withadesperateeffortatself-control：”Yousaidthatsomebelievethis。Thentheremustbeotherswhodonot。Whatdotheysay?””Nothing。Theysimplyfeelasyoudo。Theyseenoreasonfortheactandnoevidenceofherhavingmeditatedit。Herfatherandherfriendinsistbesides，thatshewasincapableofsuchahorror。Themysteryofitiskillingusall；meaboveothers，forI’vehadtoshowyouacheerfulface，withmybrainreelingandmyheartlikeleadinmybosom。”
Sheheldoutherhands。Shetriedtodrawhisattentiontoherself；
notfromanysentimentofegotism，buttobreak，ifshecould，thestrainoftheseinsupportablehorrorswheresoshortatimebeforeHopesangandLiferevelledinre-awakenedjoys。
Perhapssomefaintrealisationofthisreachedhim，forpresentlyhecaughtherbythehandsandbowedhisheaduponhershoulderandfinallyletherseathimagain，beforehesaid：”Dotheyknowof-ofmyinterestinthis?””Yes；theyknowaboutthetwo0。B。s。””Thetwo-”Hewasonhisfeetagain，butonlyforamoment；hisweaknesswasgreaterthanhiswillpower。”OrlandoandOswaldBrotherson，”sheexplained，inanswertohisbrokenappeal。”Yourbrotherwroteletterstoheraswellasyou，andsignedthemjustasyoudid，withhisinitialsonly。Theseletterswerefoundinherdesk，andhewassupposed，foratime，tohavebeentheauthorofallthatweresosigned。Buttheyfoundoutthedifferenceafterawhile。YourswereeasilyrecognisedaftertheylearnedtherewasanotherO。B。wholovedher。”
Thewordswereplainenough，butthestrickenlistenerdidnottakethemin。Theycarriednomeaningtohim。Howshouldthey?Theveryideashesoughttoimpressuponhimbythisseeminglycarelessallusionwasanincredibleone。Shefounditherdreadfultasktotellhimthehard，baretruth。”Yourbrother，”saidshe，”wasdevotedtoMissChalloner，too。Heevenwantedtomarryher。Icannotkeepbackthisfact。Itisknowneverywhere，andbyeverybodybutyou。”Orlando?”Hislipstookanironicalcurve，asheutteredtheword。
Thiswasayounggirl’simaginativefancytohim。”WhyOrlandoneverknewher，neversawher，never-””HemetheratLenox。”
Thenameproduceditseffect。Hestared，madeanefforttothink，repeatedLenoxovertohimself；thensuddenlylosthisholdupontheideawhichthatwordsuggested，struggledagainforit，seizeditinaninstantofmadnessandshoutedout：”Yes，yes，Iremember。Isenthimthere-”andpaused，hismindblankagain。
PoorDoris，frightenedtoherverysoul，lookedblindlyaboutforhelp；butshedidnotquithisside；shedidnotdareto，forhislipshadreopened；thecontinuityofhisthoughtshadreturned；hewasgoingtospeak。”Isenthimthere。”Thewordscameinasortofshout。”IwassohungrytohearofherandIthoughthemightmentionherinhisletter。Insane！Insane！Hesawherand-What’sthatyousaidabouthislovingher?Hecouldn’thavelovedher；he’snotofthelovingsort。They’vedeceivedyouwithstrangetales。They’vedeceivedthewholeworldwithfanciesandmaddreams。Hemayhaveadmiredher，butlovedher，-no！orifhehad，hewouldhaverespectedmyclaims。””Hedidnotknowthem。”
Alaugh；alaughwhichpaledDoris’cheek；themhistonesgrewevenagain，memorycamebackandhemutteredfaintly：”Thatistrue。Isaidnothingtohim。Hehadtherighttocourther-andhedid，yousay；wrote：toher；imposedhimselfuponher，drovehermadwithimportunitiesshewasforcedtorebuke；and-andwhatelse?Thereissomethingelse。Tellme；Iwillknowitall。”
Hewasstandingnow，hisfeeblenessallgone，passionineverylineamentandhiseyealiveandfeverish，withemotion。”Tellme，”
herepeated，withunrestrainedvehemence。”Tellmeall。Killmewithsorrowbutsavemefrombeingunjust。””Hewroteheraletter；itfrightenedher。Hefolloweditupbyavisit-”
Dorispaused；thesentencehungsuspended。Shehadheardastep-ahandonthedoor。
Orlandohadenteredtheroom。
ALONE
Oswaldhadheardnothing，seennothing。ButhetooknoteofDoris’
silence，andturningtowardsherinfrenzysawwhathadhappened，andsowasinameasurepreparedforthestern，shortsentencewhichnowrangthroughtheroom：”Wait，MissScott！youtellthestorybadly。Lethimlistentome。
>FrommymouthonlyshallhehearthesternandseeminglyunnaturalpartIplayedinthisfamilytragedy。”
ThefaceofOswaldhardened。Thosepliantfeatures-belovedfortheirgraciouskindliness-setthemselvesinlineswhichalteredthemalmostbeyondrecognition；buthisvoicewasnotwithoutsomeofitsnaturalsweetness，as，afteralongandhollowlookattheother’scomposedcountenance，heabruptlyexclaimed：”Speak！Iamboundtolisten；youaremybrother。”
OrlandoturnedtowardsDoris。Shewasslippingaway。”Don’tgo，”saidhe。
Butshewasgone。
Slowlyheturnedback。
Oswaldraisedhishandandcheckedthewordswithwhichhewouldhavebegunhisstory。”Nevermindthebeginnings，”saidhe。”Dorishastoldallthat。
YousawMissChallonerinLenox-admiredher-offeredyourselftoherandafterwardswroteherathreateningletterbecausesherejectedyou。””Itistrue。Othermenhavefollowedjustsuchunworthyimpulses-andbeenashamedandsorryafterwards。IwassorryandIwasashamed，andassoonasmyfirstangerwasoverwenttotellherso。
Butshemistookmypurposeand-””Andwhat?”
Orlandohesitated。Evenhisironnaturetrembledbeforethemiseryhesaw-amiseryhewasdestinedtoaugmentratherthansoothe。
Withpainsaltogetheroutofkeepingwithhischaracter，hesoughtintherecessesofhisdarkenedmindforwordslessbitterandlessabruptthanthosewhichspranginvoluntarilytohislips。Buthedidnotfindthem。Thoughhepitiedhisbrotherandwishedtoshowthathedid，nothingbutthesternlanguagesuitabletothesternfacthewishedtoimpart，wouldleavehislips。”Andendedthepitifulstruggleofthemomentwithonequick，unpremeditatedblow，”waswhathesaid。”Thereisnootherexplanationpossibleforthisact，Oswald。Bitterasitisformetoacknowledgeit，Iamthusfarguiltyofthisbelovedwoman’sdeath。But，asGodhearsme，fromthemomentIfirstsawher，tothemomentIsawherlast，Ididnotknow，nordidIforamomentdreamthatshewasanythingtoyouortoanyothermanofmystampandstation。Ithoughtshedespisedmycountrybirth，mymechanicalattempts，mylackofaristocraticpretensionsandtraditions。””Edith?””NowthatIknowshehadotherreasonsforhercontempt-thatthewordsshewrotewereinrebuketothebrotherratherthantotheman，Ifeelmyguiltanddeploremyanger。Icannotsaymore。I
shouldbutinsultyourgriefbyanylengthyexpressionsofregretandsorrow。”
Agroanofintolerableanguishfromthesickman’slips，andthenthequickthrustofhisre-awakenedintelligencerisingsuperiortotheoverthrowofallhishopes。”ForawomanofEdith’sprincipletoseekdeathinamomentofdesperation，theprovocationmusthavebeenverygreat。TellmeifI’mtohateyouthroughlife-yeathroughalleternity-orifI
mustseekinsomeunimaginablefailureofmyowncharacterorconductthecauseofherintolerabledespair。””Oswald！”Thetonewascontrolling，andyetthatofonestrongmantoanother。”Isitforustoreadtheheartofanywoman，leastofallofawomanofhersusceptibilitiesandkeeninnerlife?Thewishtoendallcomestosomenatureslikealightningflashfromaclearsky。Itcomes，itgoes，oftenwithoutleavingasign。Butifaweaponchancestobenear-hereitwasinhand-thendeathfollowstheimpulsewhich，givenaninstantofthought，wouldhavevanishedinabacksweepofotheremotions。Chancewastherealaccessorytothisdeathbysuicide。Oswald，letusrealiseitassuchandacceptoursorrowasamutualburdenandturntowhatremainstousoflifeandlabour。Workisgrief’sonlyconsolation。
Thenletuswork。”
ButofallthisOswaldhadcaughtbuttheoneword。”Chance?”herepeated。”Orlando，IbelieveinGod。””Thenseekyourcomfortthere。Ifinditinharnessingthewinds；
inforcingthepowersofnaturetodomybidding。”
Theotherdidnotspeak，andthesilencegrewheavy。Itwasbroken，whenitwasbroken，byacryfromOswald：”Nomore，”saidhe，”nomore。”Then，inayearningaccent，”SendDoristome，”
Orlandostarted。Thisnamecomingsocloseuponthatwordcomfortproducedastrangeeffectuponhim。ButanotherlookatOswaldandhewasreadytodohisbidding。Thebitterordealwasover；lethimhavehissolaceifitwasinherpowertogiveittohim。
Orlando，uponleavinghisbrother’sroom，didnotstoptodeliverthatbrother’smessagedirectlytoDoris；heleftthisforTrudatodo，andretiredimmediatelytohishangarinthewoods。Lockinghimselfin，heslightlyraisedtheroofandthensatdownbeforethecarwhichwasrapidlytakingonshapeandassumingthatindividualityandappearanceofsentientlifewhichhithertohehadonlyseenindreams。Buthiseye，whichhadneverfailedtokindleatthissightbefore，shonedullyinthesemi-gloom。Theair-carcouldwait；hewouldfirsthavehishourinthissolitudeofhisownmaking。Thegazehedreaded，thewordsfromwhichheshrankcouldnotpenetratehere。Hemightevenshouthernamealoud，andonlythesewindowlesswallswouldrespond。Hewasalonewithhispast，hispresentandhisfuture。