he,
is beginning to fear that my story is true. I know it by her silence, a
silence that yawns between us like a deep and unfathomable gulf."

But at these words her voice rang out with passionate vehemence.

"No, no, it is false! I will never believe that your hands have been
plunged in blood. You are my own pure-hearted Constant, cold, perhaps,
and stern, but with no guilt upon your conscience, save in your own wild
imagination."

"Helen, you are no friend to me," he declared, pushing her gently aside.
"Believe me innocent, but say nothing to lead these others to doubt my
word."

And she said no more, but her looks spoke volumes.

The result was that he was not detained, though he prayed for instant
commitment. He seemed to dread his own home, and the surveillance to
which he instinctively knew he would henceforth be subjected. To see him
shrink from his wife's hand as she strove to lead him from the room was
sufficiently painful; but the feeling thus aroused was nothing to that
with which we observed the keen and agonized expectancy of his look as
he turned and listened for the steps of the officer who followed him.

"I shall never again know whether or not I am alone," was his final
observation as he left our presence.

* * * * *

I said nothing to my superiors of the thoughts I had had while listening
to the above interrogatories. A theory had presented itself to my mind
which explained in some measure the mysteries of the Doctor's conduct,
but I wished for time and opportunity to test its reasonableness before
submitting it to their higher judgment. And these seemed likely to be
given me, for the Inspectors continued divided in their opinion of the
blind physician's guilt, and the District-Attorney, when told of the
affair, pooh-poohed it without mercy, and declined to stir in the matter
unless some tangible evidence were forthcoming to substantiate the poor
Doctor's self-accusations.

"If guilty, why does he shrink from giving his motives," said he, "and
if so anxious to go to the gallows, why does he suppress the very facts
calculated to send him there? He is as mad as a March hare, and it is to
an asylum he should go and not to a jail."

In this conclusion I failed to agree with him, and as time wore on my
suspicions took shape and finally ended in a fixed conviction. Dr.
Zabriskie had committed the crime he avowed, but--let me proceed a little
further with my story be