第1章

TheGoldenSlipperAndOtherProblemsforVioletStrangePROBLEMITHEGOLDENSLIPPER

“She”shere！Ithoughtshewouldbe。She”soneofthethreeyoungladiesyouseeintheright-handboxneartheproscenium。”

Thegentlemanthusaddressed——amanofmiddleageandamemberofthemostexclusiveclubs——turnedhisoperaglasstowardthespotdesignated，andinsomeastonishmentretorted：

“She？WhythosearetheMissesPrattand”

“MissVioletStrange；noother。”

“Anddoyoumeantosay”

“Ido”

“Thatyonsillylittlechit，whosefatherIknow，whosefortuneIknow，whoisseeneverywhere，andwhoiscalledoneoftheseason”sbellesisanagentofyours；a——a”

“Nonameshere，please。Youwantamysterysolved。Itisnotamatterforthepolice——thatis，asyet，——andsoyoucometome，andwhenIaskforthefacts，Ifindthatwomenandonlywomenareinvolved，andthatthesewomenarenotonlyyoungbutoneandallofthehighestsociety。Isitaman”sworktogotothebottomofacombinationlikethis？No。Sexagainstsex，and，ifpossible，youthagainstyouth。Happily，Iknowsuchaperson——agirlofgiftsandextraordinarilywellplacedforthepurpose。

Whysheuseshertalentsinthisdirection——why，withmeansenoughtoplaythepartnaturaltoherasasuccessfuldebutante，sheconsentstooccupyherselfwithsocialandothermysteries，youmustaskher，notme。EnoughthatIpromiseyouheraidifyouwantit。Thatis，ifyoucaninteresther。Shewillnotworkotherwise。”

Mr。Driscollagainraisedhisoperaglass。

“Butit”sacomedyface，“hecommented。“It”shardtoassociateintellectualitywithsuchquaintnessofexpression。Areyousureofherdiscretion？“

“Whomisshewith？“

“AbnerPratt，hiswife，anddaughters。”

“Isheamantoentrusthisaffairsunadvisedly？“

“AbnerPratt！Doyoumeantosaythatsheisanythingmoretohimthanhisdaughters”guest？“

“Judge。Youseehowmerrytheyare。Theywereindeeptroubleyesterday。Youarewitnesstoacelebration。”

“Andshe？“

“Don”tyouobservehowtheyareloadingherwithattentions？

She”stooyoungtorousesuchinterestinafamilyofnotablyunsympathetictemperamentforanyotherreasonthanthatofgratitude。”

“It”shardtobelieve。Butifwhatyouhintistrue，securemeanopportunityatonceoftalkingtothisyouthfulmarvel。Myaffairisserious。ThedinnerIhavementionedcomesoffinthreedaysand”

“Iknow。Irecognizeyourneed；butIthinkyouhadbetterenterMr。Pratt”sboxwithoutmyintervention。MissStrange”svaluetouswillbeimpairedthemomentherconnectionwithusisdiscovered。”

“Ah，there”sRuthven！HewilltakemetoMr。Pratt”sbox，“

remarkedDriscollasthecurtainfellonthesecondact。“AnysuggestionsbeforeIgo？“

“Yes，andanimportantone。Whenyoumakeyourbow，touchyourleftshoulderwithyourrighthand。Itisasignal。Shemayrespondtoit；butifshedoesnot，donotbediscouraged。Oneofheridiosyncrasiesisatheoreticaldislikeofherwork。Butonceshegetsinterested，nothingwillholdherback。That”sall，exceptthis。Innoeventgiveawayhersecret。That”spartofthecompact，youremember。”

DriscollnoddedandlefthisseatforRuthven”sbox。WhenthecurtainroseforthethirdtimehecouldbeseensittingwiththeMissesPrattandtheirvivaciousyoungfriend。Awidowerandstillontherightsideoffifty，hispresencetheredidnotpassunnoted，andcuriositywasrifeamongcertainonlookersastowhichofthetwinbelleswasresponsibleforthischangeinhiswell-knownhabits。Unfortunately，noopportunitywasgivenhimforshowing。Otherandyoungermenhadfollowedhisleadintothebox，andtheysawhimforceduponthegoodgracesofthefascinatingbutinconsequentMissStrangewhoserapidfireoftalkhewashardlyofatemperamenttoappreciate。

Didheappeardissatisfied？Yes；butonlyonepersonintheoperahouseknewwhy。MissStrangehadshownnocomprehensionoforsympathywithhiserrand。Thoughshechattedamiablyenoughbetweenduetsandtrios，shegavehimnoopportunitytoexpresshiswishesthoughsheknewthemwellenough，owingtothesignalhehadgivenher。

Thismightbeincharacterbutithardlysuitedhisviews；and，beingamanofresolution，hetookadvantageofanabsorbingminuteonthestagetoleanforwardandwhisperinherear：

“It”smydaughterforwhomIrequestyourservices；asfineagirlasanyinthishouse。Givemeahearing。Youcertainlycanmanageit。”

Shewasasmall，slightwomanwhosenaturallyquaintappearancewasaccentuatedbytheextremesimplicityofherattire。Inthetierupontierofboxesrisingbeforehiseyes，nootherpersonalitycouldviewithhersinstrangeness，orintheillusivequalityofherever-changingexpression。Shewasvivacityincarnateand，totheordinaryobserver，lightasthistledowninfibreandinfeeling。Butnottoall。Tothosewhowatchedherlong，therecamemoments——saywhenthemusicrosetoheightsofgreatness——whenthemouthsogivenovertolaughtertookoncurvesoftherarestsensibility，andawoman”sloftysoulshonethroughherodd，bewilderingfeatures。

Driscollhadnotedthis，andconsequentlyawaitedherreplyinsecrethope。

Itcameintheformofaquestionandonlyafteraninstant”sdisplayofdispleasureorpossiblyofpurenervousirritability。

“Whathasshedone？“

“Nothing。Butslanderisintheair，andanydayitmayripenintopublicaccusation。”

“Accusationofwhat？“Hertonewasalmostpettish。

“Of——oftheft，“hemurmured。“Onagreatscale，“heemphasized，asthemusicrosetoacrash。

“Jewels？“

“Inestimableones。Theyarealwaysreturnedbysomebody。Peoplesay，byme。”

“Ah！“Thelittlelady”shandsgrewsteady，——theyhadbeenflutteringalloverherlap。“Iwillseeyouto-morrowmorningatmyfather”shouse，“shepresentlyobserved；andturnedherfullattentiontothestage。

SomethreedaysafterthisMr。DriscollopenedhishouseontheHudsontonotableguests。Hehadnotdesiredthepublicityofsuchanevent，northeopportunityitgaveforanincreaseofthescandalsecretlyincirculationagainsthisdaughter。ButtheAmbassadorandhiswifewereforeignandanyevasionofthepromisedhospitalitywouldbesuretobemisunderstood；sotheschemewascarriedforwardthoughwithlesseclatthanpossiblywasexpected。

Amongthelesserguests，whoweremostlyyoungandwellacquaintedwiththehouseanditshospitality，therewasoneuniquefigure，——thatofthelivelyMissStrange，who，ifpersonallyunknowntoMissDriscoll，wassogiftedwiththequalitieswhichtellonanoccasionofthiskind，thatthestatelyyounghostesshailedherpresencewithveryobviousgratitude。

Themanneroftheirfirstmeetingwassingular，andofgreatinteresttooneofthematleast。MissStrangehadcomeinanautomobileandhadbeenshownherroom；buttherewasnobodytoaccompanyherdown-stairsafterward，and，findingherselfaloneinthegreathall，shenaturallymovedtowardthelibrary，thedoorofwhichstoodajar。Shehadpushedthisdoorhalfopenbeforeshenoticedthattheroomwasalreadyoccupied。Asaconsequence，shewasmadetheunexpectedobserverofabeautifulpictureofyouthandlove。

Ayoungmanandayoungwomanwerestandingtogetherintheglowofablazingwood-fire。Nowordwastobeheard，butintheirfaces，eloquentwithpassion，thereshonesomethingsodeepandtruethatthechanceintruderhesitatedonthethreshold，eagertolaythispictureawayinhermindwiththeotherlovelyandtragicmemoriesnowfastaccumulatingthere。Thenshedrewback，andreadvancingwithalessnoiselessfoot，cameintothefullpresenceofCaptainHollidaydrawnupinalltheprideofhismilitaryrankbesideAlicia，theaccomplisheddaughterofthehouse，who，ifunderashadowasmanywhispered，worethatshadowassomewomenwearacrown。

MissStrangewasstruckwithadmiration，andturneduponthemthebrightestfacetofhervivaciousnatureallthetimeshewassayingtoherself：“DoessheknowwhyIamhere？Ordoesshelookuponmeonlyasanadditionalguestfoisteduponherbyathoughtlessparent？“

Therewasnothinginthemannerofhercordialbutcomposedyounghostesstoshow，andMissStrange，withbutonethoughtinmindsinceshehadcaughtthelightoffeelingonthetwofacesconfrontingher，tookthefirstopportunitythatofferedofrunningoverthefactsgivenherbyMr。Driscoll，toseeifanyreconcilementwerepossiblebetweenthemandaninnocenceinwhichshemusthenceforthbelieve。

Theywerecertainlyofamostdamagingnature。

MissDriscollandfourotheryoungladiesofherownstationinlifehadformedthemselves，sometwoyearsbefore，intoacoterieoffive，calledTheInseparables。Theylunchedtogether，rodetogether，visitedtogether。Soclosewasthebondandtheirmutualdependencesoevident，thatitcametobethecustomtoinvitethewholefivewheneverthesizeofthefunctionwarrantedit。Infact，itwasfarfromanuncommonoccurrencetoseethemgroupedatreceptionsorfollowingoneanotherdowntheaislesofchurchesorthroughthemazesofthedanceatballsorassemblies。Andnoonedemurredatthis，fortheywereallhandsomeandattractivegirls，tillitbegantobenoticedthat，coincidentwiththeirpresence，somearticleofvaluewasfoundmissingfromthedressing-roomorfromthetableswhereweddinggiftsweredisplayed。Nothingwassafewheretheywent，andthough，inthecourseoftime，eacharticlefounditswaybacktoitsownerinamannerasmysteriousasitspreviousabstraction，thescandalgrewand，whetherwithgoodreasonorbad，finallysettledaboutthepersonofMissDriscoll，whowastheshowiest，leastpecuniarilytempted，andmostdignifiedinmannerandspeechofthemall。

Someinstanceshadbeengivenbywayoffurtherenlightenment。

Thisisone：Atheatrepartywasinprogress。Thereweretwelveintheparty，fiveofwhomweretheInseparables。Inthecourseofthelastact，anotherlady——infact，theirchaperon——missedherhandkerchief，analmostpricelessbitoflace。Positivethatshehadbroughtitwithherintothebox，shecausedacarefulsearch，butwithouttheleastsuccess。Recallingcertainwhispersshehadheard，shenotedwhichofthefivegirlswerewithherinthebox。TheywereMissDriscoll，MissHughson，MissYates，andMissBenedict。MissWestsatintheboxadjoining。

Afortnightlaterthishandkerchiefreappeared——andwhere？Amongthecushionsofayellowsatincouchinherowndrawing-room。TheInseparableshadjustmadetheircallandthethreewhohadsatonthecouchwereMissDriscoll，MissHughson，andMissBenedict。

Thenextinstanceseemedtopointstillmoreinsistentlytowardtheladyalreadynamed。MissYateshadanexpensivepresenttobuy，andthewholefiveInseparableswentinanimposinggrouptoTiffany”s。Atrayofringswassetbeforethem。AllexaminedandeagerlyfingeredthestockoutofwhichMissYatespresentlychoseafinelysetemerald。Shewasleadingherfriendsawaywhentheclerksuddenlywhisperedinherear，“Imissoneoftherings。”Dismayedbeyondspeech，sheturnedandconsultedthefacesofherfourcompanionswhostaredbackatherwithimmovableserenity。Butoneofthemwaspalerthanusual，andthislady(itwasMissDriscoll)heldherhandsinhermuffanddidnotoffertotakethemout。MissYates，whosefatherhadcompletedabig“deal“theweekbefore，wheeledroundupontheclerk。“Chargeit！chargeitatitsfullvalue，“saidshe。“Ibuyboththerings。”

Andinthreeweeksthepurloinedringcamebacktoher，inaboxofvioletswithnonameattached。

Thethirdinstancewasarecentone，andhadcometoMr。

Driscoll”searsdirectlyfromtheladysufferingtheloss。Shewasawomanofuncompromisingintegrity，whofeltitherdutytomakeknowntothisgentlemanthefollowingfacts：Shehadjustleftastudioreception，andwasstandingatthecurbwaitingforataxicabtodrawup，whenasmallboy——astreetarab——dartedtowardherfromtheothersideofthestreet，andthrustingintoherhandsomethingsmallandhard，criedbreathlesslyasheslippedaway，“It”syours，ma”am；youdroppedit。”Astonished，forshehadnotbeenconsciousofanyloss，shelookeddownathertreasuretroveandfoundittobeasmallmedallionwhichshesometimesworeonachainatherbelt。Butshehadnotwornitthatday，noranydayforweeks。Thensheremembered。Shehadwornitamonthbeforetoasimilarreceptionatthissamestudio。Anumberofyounggirlsbadstoodaboutheradmiringit——

sherememberedwellwhotheywere；theInseparables，ofcourse，andtopleasethemshehadslippeditfromitschain。Thensomethinghadhappened，——somethingwhichdivertedherattentionentirely，——andshehadgonehomewithoutthemedallion；had，infact，forgottenit，onlytorecallitslossnow。Placingitinherbag，shelookedhastilyabouther。Acrowdwasatherback；

nothingtobedistinguishedthere。Butinfront，ontheoppositesideofthestreet，stoodaclub-house，andinoneofitswindowssheperceivedasolitaryfigurelookingout。ItwasthatofMissDriscoll”sfather。Hecouldimagineherconclusion。

Invainhedeniedallknowledgeofthematter。Shetoldhimotherstorieswhichhadcometoherearsoftheftsasmysterious，followedbyrestorationsaspeculiarasthisone，finishingwith，“Itisyourdaughter，andpeoplearebeginningtosayso。”

AndMissStrange，broodingovertheseinstances，wouldhavesaidthesame，butforMissDriscoll”sabsoluteserenityofdemeanourandcompleteabandonmenttolove。Theseseemedincompatiblewithguilt；these，whatevertheappearances，proclaimedinnocence——aninnocenceshewasheretoproveiffortunefavouredandthereallyguiltyperson”smadnessshouldagainbreakforth。

Formadnessitwouldbeandnothingless，foranyhand，eventhemostexperienced，todrawattentiontoitselfbyarepetitionofoldtricksonanoccasionsomarked。Yetbecauseitwouldtakemadness，andmadnessknowsnolaw，shepreparedherselfforthecontingencyunderamaskofgirlishsmileswhichmadeheratoncethedelightandastonishmentofherwatchfulanduneasyhost。

WiththeexceptionofthediamondswornbytheAmbassadress，therewasbutonejewelofconsequencetobeseenatthedinnerthatnight；buthowgreatwasthatconsequenceandwithwhatsplendouritinvestedthesnowyneckitadorned！

MissStrange，incomplimenttothenobleforeigners，hadputononeofherfamilyheirlooms——afiligreependantofextraordinarysapphireswhichhadoncebelongedtoMarieAntoinette。Asitsbeautyflasheduponthewomen，anditsvaluestruckthehost，thelattercouldnotrestrainhimselffromcastingananxiouseyeabouttheboardinsearchofsometokenofthecupiditywithwhichonepersontheremustwelcomethisunexpectedsight。

NaturallyhisfirstglancefelluponAlicia，seatedoppositetohimattheotherendofthetable。Buthereyeswereelsewhere，andhersmileforCaptainHolliday，andthefather”sgazetravelledon，takingupeachyounggirl”sfaceinturn。AllwerecontemplatingMissStrangeandherjewels，andthecheeksofonewereflushedandthoseoftheotherspale，butwhetherwithdreadorlongingwhocouldtell。Struckwithforeboding，butalivetohisdutyashost，heforcedhisglancesaway，anddidnotevenallowhimselftoquestionthemotiveorthewisdomofthetemptationthusoffered。

Twohourslaterandthegirlswereallinoneroom。ItwasacustomoftheInseparablestomeetforachatbeforeretiring，butalwaysaloneandintheroomofoneoftheirnumber。Butthiswasanightofinnovations；Violetwasnotonlyincluded，butthemeetingwasheldinherroom。Herwaywithgirlswasevenmorefruitfulofresultthanherwaywithmen。Theymightlaughather，criticizeherorevencallhernamessignificantofdisdain，buttheyneverleftherlongtoherselformissedanopportunitytomakethemostofherirrepressiblechatter。

Hersatisfactionatenteringthischarmedcircledidnottakefromherpiquancy，andstoryafterstoryfellfromherlips，assheflutteredabout，nowherenowthere，inherendlesspreparationsforretirement。Shehadtakenoffherhistoricpendantafterithadbeendulyadmiredandhandledbyallpresent，and，withthecarelessconfidenceofanassuredownership，thrownitdownupontheendofherdresser，which，bytheway，projectedveryclosetotheopenwindow。

“Areyougoingtoleaveyourjewelthere？“whisperedavoiceinherearasaburstoflaughterrangoutinresponsetooneofhersallies。

Turning，withasimulationofround-eyedwonder，shemetMissHughson”searnestgazewiththecarelessrejoinder，“What”stheharm？“andwentonwithherstorywithalltherecklesseaseofaperfectlythoughtlessnature。

MissHughsonabandonedherprotest。Howcouldsheexplainherreasonsforittooneapparentlyuninitiatedinthescandalassociatedwiththeirespecialclique。

Yes，sheleftthejewelthere；butshelockedherdoorandquickly，sothattheymustallhaveheardherbeforereachingtheirrooms。Thenshecrossedtothewindow，which，likeallonthisside，openedonabalconyrunningthelengthofthehouse。

Shewasawareofthisbalcony，alsoofthefactthatonlyyoungladiessleptinthecorridorcommunicatingwithit。Butshewasnotquitesurethatthisonecorridoraccommodatedthemall。Ifoneofthemshouldroomelsewhere！(MissDriscoll，forinstance)。

Butno！theanxietydisplayedforthesafetyofherjewelprecludedthatsupposition。Theirhostess，ifnoneoftheothers，waswithinaccessofthisroomanditsopenwindow。Buthowabouttherest？Perhapsthelightswouldtell。Eagerlythelittleschemerlookedforth，andletherglancestraveldownthefulllengthofthebalcony。Twoseparatebeamsoflightshotacrossitasshelooked，andpresentlyanother，and，aftersomewaiting，afourth。Butthefifthfailedtoappear。Thistroubledher，butnotseriously。Twoofthegirlsmightbesleepinginonebed。

Drawinghershade，shefinishedherpreparationsforthenight；

thenwithherkimonoon，liftedthependantandthrustitintoasmallboxshehadtakenfromhertrunk。Acurioussmile，veryunlikeanyshehadshowntomanorwomanthatday，gaveasarcasticlifttoherlips，aswithaslowandthoughtfulmanipulationofherdaintyfingersshemovedthejewelaboutinthissmallreceptacleandthenreturnedit，afteronequickexaminingglance，totheveryspotonthedresserfromwhichshehadtakenit。“Ifonlythemadnessisgreatenough！“thatsmileseemedtosay。Truly，itwasmuchtohopefor，butachanceisachance；andcomfortingherselfwiththethought，MissStrangeputoutherlight，and，withahastyraisingoftheshadeshehadpreviouslypulleddown，tookafinallookattheprospect。

Itsaspectmadehershudder。Alowfogwasrisingfromthemeadowsinthefardistance，anditsghostlinessunderthemoonwokeallsortsofuncannyimagesinherexcitedmind。Toescapethemshecreptintobedwhereshelaywithhereyesontheendofherdresser。ShehadclosedthathalfoftheFrenchwindowoverwhichshehaddrawntheshade；butshehadleftajartheonegivingfreeaccesstothejewels；andwhenshewasnotwatchingthescintillationofhersapphiresinthemoonlight，shewasdwellinginfixedattentiononthisnarrowopening。

Butnothinghappened，andtwoo”clock，thenthreeo”clockstruck，withoutadimmingofthebluescintillationsontheendofherdresser。Thenshesuddenlysatup。Notthatsheheardanythingnew，butthatathoughthadcometoher。“Ifanattemptismade，“

soshemurmuredsoftlytoherself，“itwillbeby”Shedidnotfinish。Something——shecouldnotcallitsound——setherheartbeatingtumultuously，andlistening——listening——watching——

watching——shefollowedinherimaginationtheapproachdownthebalconyofanalmostinaudiblestep，notdaringtomoveherself，itseemedsonear，butwaitingwitheyesfixed，fortheshadowwhichmustfallacrosstheshadeshehadfailedtoraiseoverthathalfoftheswingingwindowshehadsocarefullyleftshut。

Atlengthshesawitprojectingslowlyacrosstheslightlyilluminatedsurface。Formless，savefortheoutreachinghand，itpassedthecasement”sedge，nearingwithpausesandhesitationstheopengapbeyondthroughwhichtheneglectedsapphiresbeamedwithsteadylustre。Wouldsheeverseethehanditselfappearbetweenthedresserandthewindowframe？Yes，thereitcomes，——

small，delicate，andstartlinglywhite，threadingthatgap——

dartingwiththesuddennessofaserpent”stonguetowardthedresseranddisappearingagainwiththependantinitsclutch。

Assherealizesthis，——sheisbutyoung，youknow，——assheseesherbaittakenandthehardlyexpectedeventfulfilled，herpent-

upbreathspedforthinasighwhichsenttheintruderflying，andsostartledherselfthatshesankbackinterroronherpillow。

Thebreakfast-callhadsoundeditsmusicalchimesthroughthehalls。TheAmbassadorandhiswifehadresponded，sohadmostoftheyounggentlemenandladies，butthedaughterofthehousewasnotamongstthem，norMissStrange，whomonewouldnaturallyexpecttoseedownfirstofall。

ThesetwoabsencespuzzledMr。Driscoll。Whatmighttheynotportend？Buthissuspense，atleastinoneregard，wasshort。

Beforehisguestswerewellseated，MissDriscollenteredfromtheterraceincompanywithCaptainHolliday。Inherarmsshecarriedahugebunchofrosesandwaslookingverybeautiful。Herfather”sheartwarmedatthesight。Noshadowfromthenightresteduponher。

ButMissStrange！——wherewasshe？Hecouldnotfeelquiteeasytillheknew。

“HaveanyofyouseenMissStrange？“heasked，astheysatdownattable。AndhiseyessoughttheInseparables。

Fivelovelyheadswereshaken，somecarelessly，somewonderingly，andone，withaquick，forcedsmile。Buthewasinnomoodtodiscriminate，andhehadbeckonedoneoftheservantstohim，whenastepwasheardatthedoorandthedelinquentslidinandtookherplace，inashamefacedmannersuggestiveofacausedeeperthanmeretardiness。Infact，shehadwhatmightbecalledafrightenedair，andstaredintoherplate，avoidingeveryeye，whichwascertainlynotnaturaltoher。Whatdiditmean？andwhy，asshemadeapoorattemptateating，didfouroftheInseparablesexchangeglancesofdoubtanddismayandthenconcentratetheirlooksuponhisdaughter？ThatAliciafailedtonoticethis，butsatabloomaboveherrosesnowfastenedinagreatbunchuponherbreast，offeredhimsomecomfort，yet，forallthevolubilityofhischiefguests，themealwasagreattrialtohispatience，aswellasapoorpreparationforthehourwhen，thenoblepairgone，hesteppedintothelibrarytofindMissStrangeawaitinghimwithonehandbehindherbackandapiteouslookonherinfantilefeatures。

“0，Mr。Driscoll，“shebegan，——andthenhesawthatagroupofanxiousgirlshoveredinherrear”mypendant！mybeautifulpendant！Itisgone！Somebodyreachedinfromthebalconyandtookitfrommydresserinthenight。Ofcourse，itwastofrightenme；allofthegirlstoldmenottoleaveitthere。ButI——Icannotmakethemgiveitback，andpapaissoparticularaboutthisjewelthatI”mafraidtogohome。Won”tyoutellthemit”snojoke，andseethatIgetitagain。Iwon”tbesocarelessanothertime。”

Hardlybelievinghiseyes，hardlybelievinghisears，——shewassoperfectlythespoiledchilddetectedinafault——helookedsternlyaboutuponthegirlsandbadethemendthejestandproducethegemsatonce。

Butnotoneofthemspoke，andnotoneofthemmoved；onlyhisdaughtergrewpaleuntiltherosesseemedamockery，andthesteadystareofherlargeeyeswasalmosttoomuchforhimtobear。

Theanguishofthisgaveasperitytohismanner，andinastrange，hoarsetoneheloudlycried：

“Oneofyoudidthis。Which？Ifitwasyou，Alicia，speak。Iaminnomoodfornonsense。Iwanttoknowwhosefoottraversedthebalconyandwhosehandabstractedthesejewels。”

Acontinuedsilence，deepeningintopainfulembarrassmentforall。Mr。Driscolleyedtheminill-concealedanguish，thenturningtoMissStrangewasstillfurtherthrownoffhisbalancebyseeingherprettyheaddroopandhergazefallinconfusion。

“Oh！it”seasyenoughtotellwhosefoottraversedthebalcony，“

shemurmured。“Itleftthisbehind。”Anddrawingforwardherhand，sheheldouttoviewasmallgold-colouredslipper。“I

founditoutsidemywindow，“sheexplained。“IhopedIshouldnothavetoshowit。”

Agaspofuncontrollablefeelingfromthesurroundinggroupofgirls，thenabsolutestillness。

“Ifailtorecognizeit，“observedMr。Driscoll，takingitinhishand。“Whoseslipperisthis？“heaskedinamannernottobegainsaid。

Stillnoreply，thenashecontinuedtoeyethegirlsoneafteranotheravoice——thelastheexpectedtohear——spokeandhisdaughtercried：

“Itismine。ButitwasnotIwhowalkedinitdownthebalcony。”

“Alicia！“

Amonth”sapprehensionwasinthatcry。Thesilence，thepent-upemotionbroodingintheairwasintolerable。Afreshyounglaughbrokeit。

“Oh，“exclaimedaroguishvoice，“Iknewthatyouwereallinit！

Buttheespecialonewhoworetheslipperandgrabbedthependantcannothopetohideherself。Herfinger-tipswillgiveheraway。”

Amazementoneveryfaceandaconvulsivemovementinonehalf-

hiddenhand。

“Yousee，“theairylittlebeingwenton，inherlightway，“I

havesomeawfullyfunnytricks。Iamalwaysbeingscoldedforthem，butsomehowIdon”timprove。OneistokeepmyjewelrybrightwithastrangeforeignpasteanoldFrenchwomanoncegavemeinParis。It”sofavividred，andstainsthefingersdreadfullyifyoudon”ttakecare。Notevenwaterwilltakeitoff，seemine。Iusedthatpasteonmypendantlastnightjustafteryouleftme，andbeingawfullysleepyIdidn”tstoptorubitoff。Ifyourfinger-tipsarenotred，younevertouchedthependant，MissDriscoll。Oh，see！Theyareaswhiteasmilk。

“Butsomeonetookthesapphires，andIowethatpersonascolding，aswellasmyself。Wasityou，MissHughson？You，MissYates？or”andhereshepausedbeforeMissWest，“Oh，youhaveyourgloveson！Youaretheguiltyone！“andherlaughrangoutlikeapealofbells，robbinghernextsentenceofevenasuggestionofsarcasm。“Oh，whatasly-boots！“shecried。“Howyouhavedeceivedme！Whoeverwouldhavethoughtyoutobetheonetoplaythemischief！“

Whoindeed！Ofallthefive，shewastheonewhowasconsideredabsolutelyimmunefromsuspicioneversincethenightMrs。

Barnum”shandkerchiefhadbeentaken，andshenotinthebox。

EyeswhichhadsurveyedMissDriscollaskancenowroseinwondertowardhers，andfailedtofallagainbecauseofthestoninessintowhichherdelicately-carvedfeatureshadsettled。

“MissWest，Iknowyouwillbegladtoremoveyourgloves；MissStrangecertainlyhasarighttoknowherspecialtormentor，“

spokeupherhostinasnaturalavoiceashisgreatreliefwouldallow。

Butthecold，half-frozenwomanremainedwithoutamovement。Shewasnotdeceivedbythebanterofthemoment。Sheknewthattoalloftheothers，ifnottoPeterStrange”soddlittledaughter，itwasthethiefwhowasbeingspottedandbroughtthushilariouslytolight。Andhereyesgrewhard，andherlipsgrey，andshefailedtounglovethehandsuponwhichallglanceswereconcentrated。

“Youdonotneedtoseemyhands；Iconfesstotakingthependant。”

“Caroline！“

Aheartovercomebyshockhadthrownupthiscry。MissWesteyedherbosom-frienddisdainfully。

“MissStrangehascalleditajest，“shecoldlycommented。“Whyshouldyousuggestanythingofagravercharacter？“

Aliciabroughtthustobay，andbyoneshehadtrustedmost，steppedquicklyforward，andquiveringwithvaguedoubts，aghastbeforeunheard-ofpossibilities，shetremulouslyremarked：

“Wedidnotsleeptogetherlastnight。Youhadtocomeintomyroomtogetmyslippers。Whydidyoudothis？Whatwasinyourmind，Caroline？“

Asteadylook，alowlaughchokedwithmanyemotionsansweredher。

“Doyouwantmetoreply，Alicia？Orshallweletitpass？“

“Answer！“

ItwasMr。Driscollwhospoke。Aliciahadshrunkback，almosttowherealittlefigurewascoweringwithwideeyesfixedinsomethingliketerroronthearousedfather”sface。

“Thenhearme，“murmuredthegirl，entrappedandsuddenlydesperate。“IworeAlicia”sslippersandItookthejewels，becauseitwastimethatanendshouldcometoyourmutualdissimulation。TheloveIoncefeltforhershehasherselfdeliberatelykilled。Ihadalover——shetookhim。Ihadfaithinlife，inhonour，andinfriendship。Shedestroyedall。Athief——

shehasdaredtoaspiretohim！Andyoucondonedherfault。You，withyourcravenrestorationofherbooty，thoughtthematterclearedandherafitmateforamanofhighesthonour。”

“MissWest，“——noonehadeverheardthattoneinMr。Driscoll”svoicebefore，“beforeyousayanotherwordcalculatedtomisleadtheseladies，letmesaythatthishandneverreturnedanyone”sbootyorhadanythingtodowiththerestorationofanyabstractedarticle。Youhavebeencaughtinanet，MissWest，fromwhichyoucannotescapebyslanderingmyinnocentdaughter。”

“Innocent！“Allthetragedylatentinthispeculiargirl”snatureblazedforthintheword。“Alicia，faceme。Areyouinnocent？WhotooktheDempseycorals，andthatdiamondfromtheTiffanytray？“

“ItisnotnecessaryforAliciatoanswer，“thefatherinterposedwithnotunnaturalheat。“MissWeststandsself-convicted。”

“HowaboutLadyPaget”sscarf？Iwasnottherethatnight。”

“Youareawomanofwiles。Thatcouldbemanagedbyonebentonanelaborateschemeofrevenge。”

“AndsocouldtheabstractionofMrs。Barnum”sfive-hundred-

dollarhandkerchiefbyonewhosatinthenextbox，“chimedinMissHughson，edgingawayfromthefriendtowhosehonourshewouldhavepinnedherfaithanhourbefore。“Iremembernowseeingherleanovertherailingtoadjusttheoldlady”sshawl。”

Withastart，CarolineWestturnedatragicgazeuponthespeaker。

“YouthinkmeguiltyofallbecauseofwhatIdidlastnight？“

“Whyshouldn”tI。”

“Andyou，Anna？“

“Aliciahasmysympathy，“murmuredMissBenedict。

Yetthewildgirlpersisted。

“ButIhavetoldyoumyprovocation。YoucannotbelievethatIamguiltyofhersin；notifyoulookatherasIamlookingnow。”

Buttheirglanceshardlyfollowedherpointingfinger。Herfriends——thecomradesofheryouth，theInseparableswiththeirsecretoath——oneandallheldthemselvesaloof，struckbytheperfidytheywereonlyjustbeginningtotakein。Smittenwithdespair，forthesegirlswereherlife，shegaveonewildleapandsankonherkneesbeforeAlicia。

“Ospeak！“shebegan。“Forgiveme，and”

Atrembleseizedherthroat；sheceasedtospeakandletfallherpartiallyupliftedhands。Thecheerysoundofmen”svoiceshaddriftedinfromtheterrace，andthefigureofCaptainHollidaycouldbeseenpassingby。TheshudderwhichshookCarolineWestcommunicateditselftoAliciaDriscoll，andtheformerrisingquickly，thetwowomensurveyedeachother，possiblyforthefirsttime，withopensoulandacompleteunderstanding。

“Caroline！“murmuredtheone。

“Alicia！“pleadedtheother。

“Caroline，trustme，“saidAliciaDriscollinthatmovingvoiceofhers，whichmorethanherbeautycaughtandretainedallhearts。“Youhaveservedmeill，butitwasnotallundeserved。

Girls，“shewenton，eyeingboththemandherfatherwiththewistfulnessofabreakingheart，“neitherCarolinenormyselfareworthyofCaptainHolliday”slove。Carolinehastoldyouherfault，butmineisperhapsaworseone。Thering——thescarf——thediamondpins——Itookthemall——tookthemifIdidnotretainthem。Acursehasbeenovermylife——thecurseofalongingI

couldnotcombat。Butlovewasworkingachangeinme。SinceI

haveknownCaptainHolliday——butthat”sallover。IwasmadtothinkIcouldbehappywithsuchmemoriesinmylife。Ishallnevermarrynow——ortouchjewelsagain——myownoranother”s。

Father，father，youwon”tgobackonyourgirl！Icouldn”tseeCarolinesufferforwhatIhavedone。Youwillpardonmeandhelp——

help”

Hervoicechoked。Sheflungherselfintoherfather”sarms；hisheadbentoverhers，andforaninstantnotasoulintheroommoved。ThenMissHughsongaveaspringandcaughtherbythehand。“Weareinseparable，“saidshe，andkissedthehand，murmuring，“Nowisourtimetoshowit。”

Thenotherlipsfelluponthosecoldandtremblingfingers，whichseemedtowarmundertheseembraces。Andthenatear。ItcamefromthehardeyeofCaroline，andremainedasacredsecretbetweenthetwo。

“Youhaveyourpendant？“

Mr。Driscoll”ssufferingeyeshonedownonVioletStrange”supliftedfaceassheadvancedtosaygood-byepreparatorytodeparture。

“Yes，“sheacknowledged，“buthardly，Ifear，yourgratitude。”

Andtheanswerastonishedher。

“IamnotsurethattherealAliciawillnotmakeherfatherhappierthantheunrealonehaseverdone。”

“AndCaptainHolliday？“

“Hemaycometofeelthesame。”

“ThenIdonotquitindisgrace？“

“Youdepartwithmythanks。”

WhenacertainpersonagewastoldofthesuccessofMissStrange”slatestmanoeuvre，heremarked：“Thelittleoneprogresses。Weshallhavetogiveheracaseofprimeimportancenext。”

ENDOFPROBLEMI

PROBLEMII

THESECONDBULLET

“Youmustseeher。”

“No。No。”

“She”samostunhappywoman。Husbandandchildbothtakenfromherinamoment；andnow，allmeansoflivingaswell，unlesssomehappythoughtofyours——someinspirationofyourgenius——

showsusawayofre-establishingherclaimstothepolicyvoidedbythiscryofsuicide。”

ButthesmallwiseheadofVioletStrangecontinueditsslowshakeofdecidedrefusal。

“I”msorry，“sheprotested，“butit”squiteoutofmyprovince。

I”mtooyoungtomeddlewithsoseriousamatter。”

“Notwhenyoucansaveabereavedwomantheonlypossiblecompensationleftherbyuntowardfate？“

“Letthepolicetrytheirhandatthat。”

“Theyhavehadnosuccesswiththecase。”

“Oryou？“

“NorIeither。”

“Andyouexpect”

“Yes，MissStrange。IexpectyoutofindthemissingbulletwhichwillsettlethefactthatmurderandnotsuicideendedGeorgeHammond”slife。Ifyoucannot，thenalonglitigationawaitsthispoorwidow，ending，assuchlitigationusuallydoes，infavourofthestrongerparty。There”sthealternative。Ifyouoncesawher——

“

“Butthat”swhatI”mnotwillingtodo。IfIoncesawherI

shouldyieldtoherimportunitiesandattempttheseeminglyimpossible。Myinstinctsbidmesayno。Givemesomethingeasier。”

“Easierthingsarenotsoremunerative。There”smoneyinthisaffair，iftheinsurancecompanyisforcedtopayup。Icanofferyou”

“What？“

Therewaseagernessinthetonedespitehereffortatnonchalance。Theothersmiledimperceptibly，andbrieflynamedthesum。

Itwaslargerthanshehadexpected。Thishervisitorsawbythewayhereyelidsfellandthepeculiarstillnesswhich，foraninstant，heldhervivacityincheck。

“AndyouthinkIcanearnthat？“

Hereyeswerefixedonhisinaneagernessashonestasitwasunrestrained。

Hecouldhardlyconcealhisamazement，herdesirewassoevidentandthecauseofitsodifficulttounderstand。Heknewshewantedmoney——thatwasheravowedreasonforenteringintothisuncongenialwork。Buttowantitsomuch！Heglancedatherperson；itwassimplycladbutveryexpensively——howexpensivelyitwashisbusinesstoknow。Thenhetookintheroominwhichtheysat。Simplicityagain，butthesimplicityofhighart——thedrawing-roomofonerichenoughtoindulgeinthefinalluxuryofahighlycultivatedtaste，viz。：unostentatiouseleganceandthesubjectionofeachcarefullychosenornamenttothegeneraleffect。

Whatdidthisfavouredchildoffortunelackthatshecouldbereachedbysuchaplea，whenherwholebeingrevoltedfromthenatureofthetaskheofferedher？Itwasaquestionnotnewtohim；butonehehadneverheardansweredandwasnotlikelytohearanswerednow。Butthefactremainedthattheconsenthehadthoughtdependentuponsympatheticinterestcouldbereachedmuchmorereadilybythepromiseoflargeemolument，——andheownedtoafeelingofsecretdisappointmentevenwhileherecognizedthevalueofthediscovery。

Buthissatisfactioninthelatter，ifsatisfactionitwere，wasofveryshortduration。Almostimmediatelyheobservedachangeinher。Thesparklewhichhadshoneintheeyewhosedepthshehadneverbeenabletopenetrate，haddissipateditselfinsomethinglikeatearandshespokeupinthatvigoroustonenoonebuthimselfhadeverheard，asshesaid：

“No。ThesumisagoodoneandIcoulduseit；butIwillnotwastemyenergyonacaseIdonotbelievein。Themanshothimself。Hewasaspeculator，andprobablyhadgoodreasonforhisact。Evenhiswifeacknowledgesthathehaslatelyhadmorelossesthangains。”

“Seeher。Shehassomethingtotellyouwhichnevergotintothepapers。”

“Yousaythat？Youknowthat？“

“Onmyhonour，MissStrange。”

Violetpondered；thensuddenlysuccumbed。

“Lethercome，then。Prompttothehour。Iwillreceiveheratthree。LaterIhaveateaandtwopartycallstomake。”

Hervisitorrosetoleave。Hehadbeenabletosubdueallevidenceofhisextremegratification，andnowtookonaformalair。Indismissingaguest，MissStrangewasinvariablythesocietybelleandthatonly。Thishehadcometorecognize。

Thecase(wellknownatthetime)was，inthefewestpossiblewords，asfollows：

OnasultrynightinSeptember，ayoungcouplelivinginoneofthelargeapartmenthousesintheextremeupperportionofManhattanweresoannoyedbytheincessantcryingofachildintheadjoiningsuite，thattheygotup，hetosmoke，andshetositinthewindowforapossiblebreathofcoolair。Theywerecongratulatingthemselvesuponthewisdomtheyhadshowninthusgivingupallthoughtofsleep——forthechild”scryinghadnotceased——when(itmayhavebeentwoo”clockanditmayhavebeenalittlelater)therecamefromsomewherenear，thesharpandsomewhatpeculiardetonationofapistol-shot。

Hethoughtitcamefromabove；she，fromtherear，andtheywerestaringateachotherinthehelplesswonderofthemoment，whentheywerestruckbythesilence。Thebabyhadceasedtocry。Allwasasstillintheadjoiningapartmentasintheirown——toostill——muchtoostill。Theirmutualstareturnedtooneofhorror。“Itcamefromthere！“whisperedthewife。“SomeaccidenthasoccurredtoMr。orMrs。Hammond——weoughttogo”

Herwords——verytremulousones——werebrokenbyashoutfrombelow。Theywerestandingintheirwindowandhadevidentlybeenseenbyapassingpoliceman。“Anythingwrongupthere？“theyheardhimcry。Mr。Saundersimmediatelylookedout。“Nothingwronghere，“hecalleddown。(Theywerebuttwostoriesfromthepavement。)“ButI”mnotsosureabouttherearapartment。Wethoughtweheardashot。Hadn”tyoubettercomeup，officer？Mywifeisnervousaboutit。I”llmeetyouatthestair-headandshowyoutheway。”

Theofficernoddedandsteppedin。Theyoungcouplehastilydonnedsomewraps，and，bythetimeheappearedontheirfloor，theywerereadytoaccompanyhim。

Meanwhile，nodisturbancewasapparentanywhereelseinthehouse，untilthepolicemanrangthebelloftheHammondapartment。Then，voicesbegantobeheard，anddoorstoopenaboveandbelow，butnottheonebeforewhichthepolicemanstood。

Anotherring，andthistimeaninsistentone；——andstillnoresponse。Theofficer”shandwasrisingforthethirdtimewhentherecameasoundofflutteringfrombehindthepanelsagainstwhichhehadlaidhisear，andfinallyachokedvoiceutteringunintelligiblewords。Thenahandbegantostrugglewiththelock，andthedoor，slowlyopening，disclosedawomancladinahastilydonnedwrapperandgivingeveryevidenceofextremefright。

“Oh！“sheexclaimed，seeingonlythecompassionatefacesofherneighbours。“Youheardit，too！apistol-shotfromthere——there——

myhusband”sroom。Ihavenotdaredtogo——I——I——O，havemercyandseeifanythingiswrong！Itissostill——sostill，andonlyamomentagothebabywascrying。Mrs。Saunders，Mrs。Saunders，whyisitsostill？“

Shehadfallenintoherneighbour”sarms。Thehandwithwhichshehadpointedoutacertaindoorhadsunktohersideandsheappearedtobeonthevergeofcollapse。

Theofficereyedhersternly，whilenotingherappearance，whichwasthatofawomanhastilyrisenfrombed。

“Wherewereyou？“heasked。“Notwithyourhusbandandchild，oryouwouldknowwhathadhappenedthere。”

“Iwassleepingdownthehall，“shemanagedtogaspout。“I”mnotwell——I——Oh，whydoyouallstandstillanddonothing？Mybaby”sinthere。Go！go！“and，withsuddenenergy，shesprangupright，hereyeswideopenandburning，hersmallwellfeaturedfacewhiteasthelinenshesoughttohide。

Theofficerdemurrednolonger。Inanotherinstanthewastryingthedooratwhichshewasagainpointing。

Itwaslocked。

Glancingbackatthewoman，nowcoweringalmosttothefloor，hepoundedatthedoorandaskedthemaninsidetoopen。

Noanswercameback。

Withasharpturnheglancedagainatthewife。

“Yousaythatyourhusbandisinthisroom？“

Shenodded，gaspingfaintly，“Andthechild！“

Heturnedback，listened，thenbeckonedtoMr。Saunders。“Weshallhavetobreakourwayin，“saidhe。“Putyourshoulderwelltothedoor。Now！“

Thehingesofthedoorcreaked；thelockgaveway(thisspecialofficerweighedtwohundredandseventy-five，ashefoundout，nextday)，andaprolongedandsweepingcrashtoldtherest。

Mrs。Hammondgavealowcry；and，strainingforwardfromwhereshecrouchedinterroronthefloor，searchedthefacesofthetwomenforsomehintofwhattheysawinthedimly-lightedspacebeyond。Somethingdreadful，somethingwhichmadeMr。

Saunderscomerushingbackwithashout：

“Takeheraway！Takehertoourapartment，Jennie。Shemustnotsee”

Notsee！Herealizedthefutilityofhiswordsashisgazefellontheyoungwomanwhohadrisenupathisapproachandnowstoodgazingathimwithoutspeech，withoutmovement，butwithaglareofterrorinhereyes，whichgavehimhisfirstrealizationofhumanmisery。

Hisownglancefellbeforeit。Ifhehadfollowedhisinstincthewouldhavefledthehouseratherthananswerthequestionofherlookandtheattitudeofherwholefrozenbody。

Perhapsinmercytohisspeechlessterror，perhapsinmercytoherself，shewastheonewhoatlastfoundthewordwhichvoicedtheirmutualanguish。

“Dead？“

Noanswer。Nonewasneeded。

“Andmybaby？“

O，thatcry！Itcurdledtheheartsofallwhoheardit。Itshookthesoulsofmenandwomenbothinsideandoutsidetheapartment；

thenallwasforgotteninthewildrushshemade。Thewifeandmotherhadflungherselfuponthescene，and，sidebysidewiththenotunmovedpoliceman，stoodlookingdownuponthedesolationmadeinonefatalinstantinherhomeandheart。

Theylaytheretogether，bothpasthelp，bothquitedead。Thechildhadsimplybeenstrangledbytheweightofhisfather”sarmwhichlaydirectlyacrosstheupturnedlittlethroat。Butthefatherwasavictimoftheshottheyhadheard。Therewasbloodonhisbreast，andapistolinhishand。

Suicide！Thehorribletruthwaspatent。Nowondertheywantedtoholdtheyoungwidowback。Herneighbour，Mrs。Saunders，creptinontiptoeandputherarmsabouttheswaying，faintingwoman；buttherewasnothingtosay——absolutelynothing。

Atleast，theythoughtnot。Butwhentheysawherthrowherselfdown，notbyherhusband，butbythechild，anddragitoutfromunderthatstranglingarmandhugandkissitandcalloutwildlyforadoctor，theofficerendeavouredtointerfereandyetcouldnotfindthehearttodoso，thoughheknewthechildwasdeadandshouldnot，accordingtoalltherulesofthecoroner”soffice，bemovedbeforethatofficialarrived。Yetbecausenomothercouldbeconvincedofafactlikethis，helethersitwithitonthefloorandtryallherlittleartstoreviveit，whilehegaveorderstothejanitorandwaitedhimselfforthearrivalofdoctorandcoroner。

Shewasstillsittingthereinwide-eyedmisery，alternatelyfondlingthelittlebodyanddrawingbacktoconsultitssmallsetfeaturesforsomesignoflife，whenthedoctorcame，and，afteronelookatthechild，drewitsoftlyfromherarmsandlaiditquietlyinthecribfromwhichitsfatherhadevidentlylifteditbutashorttimebefore。Thenheturnedbacktoher，andfoundheronherfeet，upheldbyhertwofriends。Shehadunderstoodhisaction，andwithoutagroanhadacceptedherfate。

Indeed，sheseemedincapableofanyfurtherspeechoraction。Shewasstaringdownatherhusband”sbody，whichshe，forthefirsttime，seemedfullytosee。Washerlookoneofgrieforofresentmentfortheparthehadplayedsounintentionallyinherchild”sdeath？Itwashardtotell；andwhen，withslowlyrisingfinger，shepointedtothepistolsotightlyclutchedintheotheroutstretchedhand，noonethere——andbythistimetheroomwasfull——couldforetellwhatherwordswouldbewhenhertongueregaineditsusageandshecouldspeak。

Whatshedidsaywasthis：

“Isthereabulletgone？Didhefireoffthatpistol？“Aquestionsomanifestlyoneofdeliriumthatnooneansweredit，whichseemedtosurpriseher，thoughshesaidnothingtillherglancehadpassedallaroundthewallsoftheroomtowhereawindowstoodopentothenight，——itslowersashbeingentirelyraised。

“There！lookthere！“shecried，withacommandingaccent，and，throwingupherhands，sankadeadweightintothearmsofthosesupportingher。

Nooneunderstood；butnaturallymorethanonerushedtothewindow。Anopenspacewasbeforethem。Herelaythefieldsnotyetparcelledoutintolotsandbuiltupon；butitwasnotuponthesetheylooked，butuponthestrongtrelliswhichtheyfoundthere，which，ifitsupportednovine，formedaveritableladderbetweenthiswindowandtheground。

Couldshehavemeanttocallattentiontothisfact；andwereherwordsexpressiveofanotherideathantheobviousoneofsuicide？

Ifso，towhatlengthsawoman”simaginationcango！Orsotheircombinedlooksseemedtoproclaim，whentotheirutterastonishmenttheysawtheofficer，whohadpresentedacalmappearanceuptillnow，shifthispositionandwithasurprisedgruntdirecttheireyestoaportionofthewalljustvisiblebeyondthehalf-drawncurtainsofthebed。Themirrorhangingthereshowedastar-shapedbreakage，suchasfollowsthesharpimpactofabulletorafiercelyprojectedstone。

“Hefiredtwoshots。Onewentwild；theotherstraighthome。”

Itwastheofficerdeliveringhisopinion。

Mr。Saunders，returningfromthedistantroomwherehehadassistedincarryingMrs。Hammond，castalookattheshatteredglass，andremarkedforcibly：

“Iheardbutone；andIwassittingup，disturbedbythatpoorinfant。Jennie，didyouhearmorethanoneshot？“heasked，turningtowardhiswife。

“No，“sheanswered，butnotwiththereadinesshehadevidentlyexpected。“Iheardonlyone，butthatwasnotquiteusualinitstone。I”musedtoguns，“sheexplained，turningtotheofficer。

“Myfatherwasanarmyman，andhetaughtmeveryearlytoloadandfireapistol。Therewasaprolongedsoundtothisshot；

somethinglikeanechoofitself，followingcloseuponthefirstping。Didn”tyounoticethat，Warren？“

“Iremembersomethingofthekind，“herhusbandallowed。

“Heshottwiceandquickly，“interposedthepoliceman，sententiously。“Weshallfindaspentbulletbackofthatmirror。”

Butwhen，uponthearrivalofthecoroner，aninvestigationwasmadeofthemirrorandthewallbehind，nobulletwasfoundeitherthereoranywhereelseintheroom，saveinthedeadman”sbreast。Norhadmorethanonebeenshotfromhispistol，asfivefullchamberstestified。Thecasewhichseemedsosimplehaditsmysteries，buttheassertionmadebyMrs。Saundersnolongercarriedweight，norwastheevidenceofferedbythebrokenmirrorconsideredasindubitablyestablishingthefactthatasecondshothadbeenfiredintheroom。

Yetitwasequallyevidentthatthechargewhichhadenteredthedeadspeculator”sbreasthadnotbeendeliveredatthecloserangeofthepistolfoundclutchedinhishand。Therewerenopowder-markstobediscernedonhispajama-jacket，oronthefleshbeneath。Thusanomalyconfrontedanomaly，leavingopenbutoneothertheory：thatthebulletfoundinMr。Hammond”sbreastcamefromthewindowandtheoneheshotwentoutofit。Butthiswouldnecessitatehishavingshothispistolfromapointfarremovedfromwherehewasfound；andhiswoundwassuchasmadeitdifficulttobelievethathewouldstaggerfar，ifatall，afteritsinfliction。

Yet，becausethecoronerwasbothconscientiousandalert，hecausedamostrigoroussearchtobemadeofthegroundoverlookedbytheabovementionedwindow；asearchinwhichthepolicejoined，butwhichwaswithoutanyresultsavethatofrousingtheattentionofpeopleintheneighbourhoodandleadingtoastorybeingcirculatedofamanseensometimethenightbeforecrossingthefieldsinagreathurry。Butasnofurtherparticularswereforthcoming，andnotevenadescriptionofthemantobehad，noemphasiswouldhavebeenlaiduponthisstoryhaditnottranspiredthatthemomentareportofithadcometoMrs。Hammond”sears(whyistherealwayssomeonetocarrythesereports？)sherousedfromthetorporintowhichshehadfallen，andinwildfashionexclaimed：

“Iknewit！Iexpectedit！Hewasshotthroughthewindowandbythatwretch。Henevershothimself。”Violentdeclarationswhichtrailedoffintotheonecontinuouswail，“O，mybaby！mypoorbaby！“

Suchwords，eventhoughthefruitofdelirium，meritedsomesortofattention，orsothisgoodcoronerthought，andassoonasopportunityofferedandshewassufficientlysaneandquiettorespondtohisquestions，heaskedherwhomshehadmeantbythatwretch，andwhatreasonshehad，orthoughtshehad，ofattributingherhusband”sdeathtoanyotheragencythanhisowndisgustwithlife。

Andthenitwasthathissympathies，althoughgreatlyrousedinherfavourbegantowane。Shemetthequestionwithacoldstarefollowedbyafewambiguouswordsoutofwhichhecouldmakenothing。Hadshesaidwretch？Shedidnotremember。Theymustnotbeinfluencedbyanythingshemighthaveutteredinherfirstgrief。Shewaswell-nighinsaneatthetime。Butofonethingtheymightbesure：herhusbandhadnotshothimself；hewastoomuchafraidofdeathforsuchanact。Besides，hewastoohappy。

Whateverfolksmightsayhewastoofondofhisfamilytowishtoleaveit。

Nordidthecoroneroranyotherofficialsucceedinelicitinganythingfurtherfromher。Evenwhenshewasasked，withcruelinsistence，howsheexplainedthefactthatthebabywasfoundlyingonthefloorinsteadofinitscrib，heronlyanswerwas：

“Hisfatherwastryingtosootheit。Thechildwascryingdreadfully，asyouhaveheardfromthosewhowerekeptawakebyhimthatnight，andmyhusbandwascarryinghimaboutwhentheshotcamewhichcausedGeorgetofallandoverlaythebabyinhisstruggles。”

“Carryingababyaboutwithaloadedpistolinhishand？“camebackinsternretort。

Shehadnoanswerforthis。Sheadmittedwheninformedthatthebulletextractedfromherhusband”sbodyhadbeenfoundtocorrespondexactlywiththoseremaininginthefivechambersofthepistoltakenfromhishand，thathewasnotonlytheownerofthispistolbutwasinthehabitofsleepingwithitunderhispillow；but，beyondthat，nothing；andthisreticence，aswellashermannerwhichwascoldandrepellent，toldagainsther。

Averdictofsuicidewasrenderedbythecoroner”sjury，andthelife-insurancecompany，inwhichMr。Hammondhadbutlatelyinsuredhimselfforalargesum，takingadvantageofthesuicideclauseembodiedinthepolicy，announceditsdeterminationofnotpayingthesame。

Suchwasthesituation，asknowntoVioletStrangeandthegeneralpublic，onthedayshewasaskedtoseeMrs。HammondandlearnwhatmightalterheropinionastothejusticeofthisverdictandthestandtakenbytheShulerLifeInsuranceCompany。

TheclockonthemantelinMissStrange”srose-colouredboudoirhadstruckthree，andVioletwasgazinginsomeimpatienceatthedoor，whentherecameagentleknockuponit，andthemaid(oneoftheelderly，notyouthful，kind)usheredinherexpectedvisitor。

“YouareMrs。Hammond？“sheasked，innaturalaweofthetooblackfigureoutlinedsosharplyagainstthedeeppinkofthesea-shellroom。

Theanswerwasaslowliftingoftheveilwhichshadowedthefeaturessheknewonlyfromthecutsshehadseeninnewspapers。

“Youare——MissStrange？“stammeredhervisitor；“theyoungladywho”

“Iam，“chimedinavoiceasringingasitwassweet。“Iamthepersonyouhavecomeheretosee。Andthisismyhome。Butthatdoesnotmakemelessinterestedintheunhappy，orlessdesirousofservingthem。Certainlyyouhavemetwiththetwogreatestlosseswhichcancometoawoman——Iknowyourstorywellenoughtosaythat——；butwhathaveyoutotellmeinproofthatyoushouldnotloseyouranticipatedincomeaswell？

Somethingvital，Ihope，elseIcannothelpyou；somethingwhichyoushouldhavetoldthecoroner”sjury——anddidnot。”

Theflushwhichwasthesoleanswerthesewordscalledforthdidnottakefromtherefinementoftheyoungwidow”sexpression，butratheraddedtoit；Violetwatcheditinitsebbandflowand，seriouslyaffectedbyit(why，shedidnotknow，forMrs。Hammondhadmadenootherappealeitherbylookorgesture)，pushedforwardachairandbeggedhervisitortobeseated。

“Wecanconverseinperfectsafetyhere，“shesaid。“Whenyoufeelquiteequaltoit，letmehearwhatyouhavetocommunicate。Itwillnevergoanyfurther。IcouldnotdotheworkIdoifIfeltitnecessarytohaveaconfidant。”

“Butyouaresoyoungandso——so”

“SoinexperiencedyouwouldsayandsoevidentlyamemberofwhatNewYorkerscall”society。”Donotletthattroubleyou。Myinexperienceisnotlikelytolastlongandmysocialpleasuresaremoreapttoaddtomyefficiencythantodetractfromit。”

WiththisViolet”sfacebrokeintoasmile。Itwasnotthebrilliantonesooftenseenuponherlips，buttherewassomethinginitsqualitywhichcarriedencouragementtothewidowandledhertosaywithobviouseagerness：

“Youknowthefacts？“

“Ihavereadallthepapers。”

“Iwasnotbelievedonthestand。”

“Itwasyourmanner”

“Icouldnothelpmymanner。Iwaskeepingsomethingback，and，beingunusedtodeceit，Icouldnotactquitenaturally。”

“Whydidyoukeepsomethingback？Whenyousawtheunfavourableimpressionmadebyyourreticence，whydidyounotspeakupandfranklytellyourstory？“

“BecauseIwasashamed。BecauseIthoughtitwouldhurtmemoretospeakthantokeepsilent。Idonotthinksonow；butIdidthen——andsomademygreatmistake。Youmustremembernotonlytheawfulshockofmydoubleloss，butthesenseofguiltaccompanyingit；formyhusbandandIhadquarreledthatnight，quarreledbitterly——thatwaswhyIhadrunawayintoanotherroomandnotbecauseIwasfeelingillandimpatientofthebaby”sfretfulcries。”

“Sopeoplehavethought。”Insayingthis，MissStrangewasperhapscruellyemphatic。“Youwishtoexplainthatquarrel？Youthinkitwillbedoinganygoodtoyourcausetogointothatmatterwithmenow？“

“Icannotsay；butImustfirstclearmyconscienceandthentrytoconvinceyouthatquarrelornoquarrel，henevertookhisownlife。Hewasnotthatkind。Hehadanabnormalfearofdeath。I

donotliketosayitbuthewasaphysicalcoward。Ihaveseenhimturnpaleattheleasthintofdanger。Hecouldnomorehaveturnedthatmuzzleuponhisownbreastthanhecouldhaveturnedituponhisbaby。Someotherhandshothim，MissStrange。

Remembertheopenwindow，theshatteredmirror；andIthinkI

knowthathand。”

Herheadhadfallenforwardonherbreast。Theemotionsheshowedwasnotsoeloquentofgriefasofdeeppersonalshame。

“Youthinkyouknowtheman？“Insayingthis，Violet”svoicesunktoawhisper。Itwasanaccusationofmurdershehadjustheard。

“Tomygreatdistress，yes。WhenMr。HammondandIweremarried，“thewidownowproceededinamoredeterminedtone，“therewasanotherman——averyviolentone——whovowedevenatthechurchdoorthatGeorgeandIshouldneverliveouttwofullyearstogether。Wehavenot。OursecondanniversarywouldhavebeeninNovember。”

“But”

“Letmesaythis：thequarrelofwhichIspeakwasnotseriousenoughtooccasionanysuchactofdespaironhispart。Amanwouldbemadtoendhislifeonaccountofsoslightadisagreement。ItwasnotevenonaccountofthepersonofwhomI”vejustspoken，thoughthatpersonhadbeenmentionedbetweenusearlierintheevening，Mr。Hammondhavingcomeacrosshimfacetofacethatveryafternooninthesubway。Uptothistimeneitherofushadseenorheardofhimsinceourwedding-day。”

“Andyouthinkthispersonwhomyoubarelymentioned，somindfulofhisoldgrudgethathesoughtoutyourdomicile，and，withtheintentionofmurder，climbedthetrellisleadingtoyourroomandturnedhispistolupontheshadowyfigurewhichwasallhecouldseeinthesemi-obscurityofamuchloweredgas-jet？“

“Amaninthedarkdoesnotneedabrightlighttoseehisenemywhenheisintentuponrevenge。”

MissStrangealteredhertone。

“Andyourhusband？Youmustacknowledgethatheshotoffhispistolwhethertheotherdidornot。”

“Itwasinself-defence。Hewouldshoottosavehisownlife——orthebaby”s。”

“Thenhemusthaveheardorseen”

“Amanatthewindow。”

“Andwouldhaveshotthere？

“Ortriedto。”

“Triedto？“

“Yes；theothershotfirst——oh，I”vethoughtitallout——causingmyhusband”sbullettogowild。Itwashiswhichbrokethemirror。”

Violet”seyes，brightasstars，suddenlynarrowed。

“Andwhathappenedthen？“sheasked。“Whycannottheyfindthebullet？“

“Becauseitwentoutofthewindow；——glancedoffandwentoutofthewindow。”

Mrs。Hammond”stonewastriumphant；herlookspiritedandintense。

Violeteyedhercompassionately。

“Wouldabulletglancingofffromamirror，howeverhung，beapttoreachawindowsofarontheoppositeside？“

“Idon”tknow；Ionlyknowthatitdid，“wasthecontradictory，almostabsurd，reply。

“Whatwasthecauseofthequarrelyouspeakofbetweenyourhusbandandyourself？Yousee，Imustknowtheexacttruthandallthetruthtobeofanyassistancetoyou。”

“Itwas——itwasaboutthecareIgave，ordidn”tgive，thebaby。

Ifeelawfullytohavetosayit，butGeorgedidnotthinkIdidmyfulldutybythechild。Hesaidtherewasnoneedofitscryingso；thatifIgaveittheproperattentionitwouldnotkeeptheneighboursandhimselfawakehalfthenight。AndI——I

gotangryandinsistedthatIdidthebestIcould；thatthechildwasnaturallyfretfulandthatifhewasn”tsatisfiedwithmywayoflookingafterit，hemighttryhis。Allofwhichwasverywrongandunreasonableonmypart，aswitnesstheawfulpunishmentwhichfollowed。”

“Andwhatmadeyougetupandleavehim？“

“Thegrowlhegavemeinreply。WhenIheardthat，IboundedoutofbedandsaidIwasgoingtothespareroomtosleep；andifthebabycriedhemightjusttrywhathecoulddohimselftostopit。”

“Andheanswered？“

“This，justthis——IshallneverforgethiswordsaslongasI

live——”Ifyougo，youneednotexpectmetoletyouinagainnomatterwhathappens。”“

“Hesaidthat？“

“Andlockedthedoorafterme。YouseeIcouldnottellallthat。”

“Itmighthavebeenbetterifyouhad。Itwassuchanaturalquarrelandsounprovocativeofactualtragedy。”

Mrs。Hammondwassilent。Itwasnotdifficulttoseethatshehadnoverykeenregretsforherhusbandpersonally。Butthenhewasnotaveryestimablemannorinanyrespectherequal。

“Youwerenothappywithhim，“Violetventuredtoremark。

“Iwasnotafullycontentedwoman。ButforallthathehadnocausetocomplainofmeexceptforthereasonIhavementioned。I

wasnotaveryintelligentmother。Butifthebabywerelivingnow——0，ifhewerelivingnow——withwhatdevotionIshouldcareforhim。”

Shewasonherfeet，herarmswereraised，herfaceimpassionedwithfeeling。Violet，gazingather，heavedalittlesigh。Itwasperhapsinkeepingwiththesituation，perhapsextraneoustoit，butwhateveritssource，itmarkedachangeinhermanner。

Withnofurthercheckuponhersympathy，shesaidverysoftly：

“Itiswellwiththechild。”

Themotherstiffened，swayed，andthenburstintowildweeping。

“Butnotwithme，“shecried，“notwithme。Iamdesolateandbereft。Ihavenotevenahomeinwhichtohidemygriefandnoprospectofone。”

“But，“interposedViolet，“surelyyourhusbandleftyousomething？Youcannotbequitepenniless？“

“Myhusbandleftnothing，“wastheanswer，utteredwithoutbitterness，butwithallthehardnessoffact。“Hehaddebts。I

shallpaythosedebts。Whentheseandothernecessaryexpensesareliquidated，therewillbebutlittleleft。Hemadenosecretofthefactthathelivedcloseuptohismeans。Thatiswhyhewasinducedtotakeonalifeinsurance。Notafriendofhisbutknowshisimprovidence。I——Ihavenotevenjewels。Ihaveonlymydeterminationandanabsoluteconvictionastotherealnatureofmyhusband”sdeath。”

“Whatisthenameofthemanyousecretlybelievetohaveshotyourhusbandfromthetrellis？“

Mrs。Hammondtoldher。

ItwasanewonetoViolet。Shesaidsoandthenasked：

“Whatelsecanyoutellmeabouthim？“

“Nothing，butthatheisaverydarkmanandhasaclub-foot。”

“Oh，whatamistakeyou”vemade。”

“Mistake？Yes，Iacknowledgethat。”

“Imeaninnotgivingthislastbitofinformationatoncetothepolice。Amancanbeidentifiedbysuchadefect。Evenhisfootstepscanbetraced。Hemighthavebeenfoundthatveryday。