knewitwould！Ishother-butnotwithanordinarybullet。Mychargewasasmalliciclemadedeliberatelyforthepurpose。Ithadstrengthenoughtopenetrate，butitleftnotracebehindit。
’Abulletoficeforaheartofice，’Ihadsaidinthetormentofmyrage。Butthewordwaswithoutknowledge，Mr。Challoner。I
seeitnow；Ihaveseenitfortwowholeweeks。Ididnotmisjudgehercondemnationofme，butImisjudgeditscause。Itwasnottothecomparativelypoor，thecomparativelyobscuremanshesoughttoshowcontempt，buttothebrotherofOswaldwhoseclaimsshesawinsulted。AwomanIshouldhaverespected，notkilled。Awomanofnoprideofstation；awomanwholovedamannotonlyofmyownclassbutofmyownblood-awoman，toavengewhoseunmeriteddeathIstandherebeforeyouaself-condemnedcriminal。Thatisbutjustice，Mr。Challoner。ThatisthewayIlookatthings。
Thoughnosentimentalist；anddeadtoallbeliefssavetheeternaltruthsofscience，Ihavethatinmewhichwillnotletmeprofit，nowthatIknowmyselfunworthy，bythegreatsuccessIhaveearned。
Hencethisconfession，Mr。Challoner。Ithasnotcomeeasily，nordoIshutmyeyesintheleasttotheresultswhichmustfollow。
ButIcannotdodifferently。To-morrow，youmaytelegraphtoNewYork。TillthenIdesiretobeleftundisturbed。Ihavemanythingstodisposeofintheinterim。”
Mr。Challoner，verywhitebynow，pointedtothedoorbeforehesankagainintohischair。Brothersontookitfordismissalandsteppedslowlyback。ThentheireyesmetagainandMr。Challonerspokehisfirstword：”Therewasanother-apoorwoman-shediedsuddenly-andherwoundwasnotunlikethatinflicteduponEdith。Didyou-””Idid。”Theanswercamewithoutatremour。”YoumaysayandsomayothersthatIwaslessjustifiedinthisattackthanintheother；butIdonotseeitthatway。Atheorydoesnotalwaysworkinpractice。IwishedtotesttheunusualmeansIcontemplated，andthewomanIsawbeforemeacrossthecourtwashard-workingandwithnothinginlifetolookforwardto，so-”
AcryofbitterexecrationfromMr。Challonercuthimshort。
Turningwithashrughewasabouttolifthishandtothedoor，whenhegaveaviolentstartandfellhastilybackbeforeaquicklyenteringfigureofsuchpassionandfuryasneitherofthesemenhadeverseenbefore。
ItwasOswald！Oswald，thekindly！Oswald，theloverofmenandtheadorerofwomen！Oswald，withthewordsofthedastardlyconfessionhehadpartlyoverheardsearinghotwithinhisbrain！
Oswald，raisedinamomentfromthedespondinginvalidtoaterrifyingministrantofretributivejustice。
Orlandocouldscarcelyraisehishandbeforetheother’swasuponhisthroat。”Murderer！doubly-dyedmurdererofinnocentwomen！”washissedinthestrongman’sears。”Notwiththelawbutwithmeyoumustreckon，andmayGodandthespiritofmymothernervemyarm！”
DESOLATE
Thestrugglewasfiercebutmomentary。OswaldwithhisweakenedpowerscouldnotlongwithstandthesteadyexertionofOrlando’sgiantstrength，anderelongsankawayfromthecontestintoMr。
Challoner’sarms。”Youshouldnothavesummonedtheshadeofourmothertoyouraid，”
observedtheotherwithasmile，inwhichtheironywaslostinterriblepresage。”Iwasalwaysherfavourite。”
Oswaldshuddered。Orlandohadspokentruly；shehadalwaysbeenblindly，arrogantlytrustfulofhereldestson。Nofaultcouldsheseeinhim；andnow-
ImpetuouslyOswaldstruggledwithhisweakness，raisedhimselfinMr。Challoner’sarmsandcriedinloudrevolt：
ButGodisjust。Hewillnotletyouescape。IfHedoes，Iwillnot。Iwillhoundyoutotheendsofthisearthand，ifnecessary，intotheeternities。Notwiththethreatofmyarm-youaremymasterthere，butwiththecurseofabrotherwhobelievedyouinnocentofhisdarling’sbloodandwouldhavebelievedyousoinfaceofeverythingbutyourownword。”
Peace！”adjuredOrlando。”ThereisnoaccountIamnotreadytosettle。Ihaverobbedyouofthewomanyoulove，butIhavedespoiledmyself。Istanddesolateintheworld，whobutanhouragocouldhavechosenmyseatamongthebestandgreatest。Whatcanyourcursesdoafterthat?””Nothing。”Thewordcameslowlylikeadropwrungfromanearlyspentheart。”Nothing；nothing。Oh，Orlando，Iwishwewerebothdeadandburiedandthattherewerenofurtherlifeforeitherofus。”
Thesoftenedtone，thewistfulprayerwhichwouldblotoutanimmortalityofjoyfortheone，thatitmightsavetheotherfromanimmortalityofretribution，touchedsomelongunsoundedchordinOrlando’sextraordinarynature。
Advancingastep，heheldouthishand-theleftone。”We’llleavethefuturetoitself，Oswald，anddowhatwecanwiththepresent，”saidhe。”I’vemadeamessofmylifeandspoiledacareerwhichmighthavemadeusbothkings。Forgiveme，Oswald。
IaskfornothingelsefromGodorman。Ishouldlikethat。Itwouldstrengthenmeforto-morrow。”
ButOswald，everkindly，generousandmorereadytothinkofothersthanofhimself，hadyetsomeofOrlando’stenacity。Hegazedatthathandandaflushsweptupoverhischeekwhichinstantlybecameghastlyagain。”Icannot，”saidhe-”noteventheleftone。MayGodforgiveme！”
Orlando，strucksilentforamoment，droppedhishandandslowlyturnedaway。Mr。ChallonerfeltOswaldstiffeninhisarms，andbreaksuddenlyaway，onlytostopshortbeforehehadtakenoneofthehalfdozenstepsbetweenhimselfandhisdepartingbrother。”Whereareyougoing?”hedemandedintoneswhichmadeOrlandoturn。”Imightsay，Tothedevil，”wasthesarcasticreply。”ButIdoubtifhewouldreceiveme。No，”headded，inmoreordinarytonesastheothershiveredandagainstartedforward，”youwillhavenotroubleinfindingmeinmyownroomto-night。Ihaveletterstowriteand-otherthings。Amanlikemecannotdropoutwithoutaripple。Youmaygotobedandsleep。Iwillkeepawakefortwo。””Orlando！”VisionswerepassingbeforeOswald’seyes，soul-crushingvisionssuchasinhisblamelesslifeheneverthoughtcouldenterintohisconsciousnessorblasthistranquiloutlookuponlife。”Orlando！”heagainappealed，coveringhiseyesinafrenziedattempttoshutoutthesehorrors，”Icannotletyougolikethis。
To-morrow-””To-morrow，ineverynicheandcornerofthisworld，whereverEdithChalloner’snamehasgone，wherevermynamehasgone，itwillbeknownthatthediscovererofapracticalair-ship，isamanwhomtheycannolongerhonour。Doyouthinkthatisnothellenoughforme；orthatIdonotrealisethehellitwillbeforyou?I’veneverweariedyouoranymanwithmyaffection；butI’mnotalldemon。Iwouldgladlyhavesparedyouthisadditionalanguish；butthatwasimpossible。Youaremybrotherandmustsufferfromtheconnectionwhetherwewouldhaveitsoofnot。Ifitpromisestoomuchmisery-andIknownomiserylikethatofshame-comewithmewhereIgoto-morrow。Therewillberoomfortwo。”
Oswald，swayingwithweakness，butmaddenedbythesightofanoverthrowwhichcarriedwithitthestifledaffectionsandtheadmirationofhiswholelife，gaveaboundforward，openedhisarmsand-fell。
Orlandostoppedshort。Gazingdownonhisprostratebrother，hestoodforamomentwithagleamofsomethinglikehumantendernessshowingthroughtheflareofdyingpassionsandperishinghopes；
thenheswungopenthedoorandpassedquietlyout，andMr。
Challonercouldhearthelaughingremarkwithwhichhemetanddismissedthehalf-dozenmenandwomenwhohadbeendrawntothisendofthehallbywhathadsoundedtothemlikeafracasbetweenangrymen。
FIVEO’CLOCKINTHEMORNING
Theclockinthehotelofficestruckthree。OrlandoBrothersoncountedthestrokes；thenwentonwriting。Histransomwaspartlyopenandhehadjustheardastepgobyhisdoor。Thiswasnothingnew。Hehadalreadyhearditseveraltimesbeforethatnight。ItwasMr。Challoner’sstep，andeverytimeitpassed，hehadrustledhispapersorscratchedvigorouslywithhispen。”HeiskeepingwatchforOswald，”washisthought。”Theyfearasuddenendtothis。
Noone，notthesonofmymotherknowsme。DoIknowmyself?”
Fouro’clock！Thelightwasstillburning，thepileoflettershewaswritingincreasing。
Fiveo’clock！Arattlingshadebetraysanopenwindow。Noothersounddisturbsthequietoftheroom。Itisemptynow；butMr。
Challoner，longsincesatisfiedthatallwaswell，goesbynomore。Silencehassettleduponthehotel；-thatheavysilencewhichprecedesthedawn。
Therewassilenceinthestreetsalso。Thefewwhowereabroad，creptquietlyalong。Anelectricstormwasintheairandthesurchargedcloudshungheavyandlow，bidingthemomentofoutbreak。
Amanwhohadleftaplaceofmanyshadowsforthemoreopenroad，pausedandlookedupattheseclouds；thenwentcalmlyon。
Suddenlytheshriekofanapproachingtraintearsthroughthevalley。Hasitacallforthisman?No。Yethepausesinthemidstofthestreetheiscrossingandwatches，asachildmightwatch，fortheflashofitslightsattheendofthedarkenedvista。