ht
that beam of deep and concentrated suffering in his eye and recognized
an innocence which ensured her sympathy and led her to grant him the
interview for which he so earnestly entreated.

He came prompt to the hour, and when she saw him again with the marks of
a sleepless night upon him and all the signs of suffering intensified in
his unusual countenance, she felt her heart sink within her in a way she
failed to understand. A dread of what she was about to hear robbed her
of all semblance of self-possession, and she stood like one in a dream
as he uttered his first greetings and then paused to gather up his own
moral strength before he began his story. When he did speak it was to
say:

"I find myself obliged to break a vow I have made to myself. You cannot
understand my need unless I show you my heart. My trouble is not the one
with which men have credited me. It has another source and is infinitely
harder to bear. Personal dishonour I have deserved in a greater or less
degree, but the trial which has come to me now involves a person more
dear to me than myself, and is totally without alleviation unless you--"
He paused, choked, then recommenced abruptly: "My wife"--Violet held
her breath--"was supposed to have died from heart-disease or--or
some strange species of suicide. There were reasons for this
conclusion--reasons which I accepted without serious question till some
five weeks ago when I made a discovery which led me to fear--"

The broken sentence hung suspended. Violet, notwithstanding his hurried
gesture, could not restrain herself from stealing a look at his face. It
was set in horror and, though partially turned aside, made an appeal
to her compassion to fill the void made by his silence, without further
suggestion from him.

She did this by saying tentatively and with as little show of emotion as
possible:

"You feared that the event called for vengeance and that vengeance would
mean increased suffering to yourself as well as to another?"

"Yes; great suffering. But I may be under a most lamentable mistake. I
am not sure of my conclusions. If my doubts have no real foundation--if
they are simply the offspring of my own diseased imagination, what
an insult to one I revere! What a horror of ingratitude and
misunderstanding--"

"Relate the facts," came in startled tones from Violet. "They may
enlighten us."

He gave one quick shudder, buried his face for one moment in his hands,
then lifted it an