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。