--and there he was, poor vain fool, at my mercy.
I was in no hurry.

"Two years later I had to reconsider my position, for my revenge was
being taken out of my hands. Mark began to drink. Could I have stopped
him? I don't think so, but to my immense surprise I found myself trying
to. Instinct, perhaps, getting the better of reason; or did I reason it
out and tell myself that, if he drank himself to death, I should lose
my revenge? Upon my word, I cannot tell you; but, for whatever motive, I
did genuinely want to stop it. Drinking is such a beastly thing, anyhow.

"I could not stop him, but I kept him within certain bounds, so that
nobody but myself knew his secret. Yes, I kept him outwardly decent;
and perhaps now I was becoming like the cannibal who keeps his victim in
good condition for his own ends. I used to gloat over Mark, thinking how
utterly he was mine to ruin as I pleased, financially, morally, whatever
way would give me most satisfaction. I had but to take my hand away from
him and he sank. But again I was in no hurry.

"Then he killed himself. That futile little drunkard, eaten up with his
own selfishness and vanity, offered his beastliness to the truest and
purest woman on this earth. You have seen her, Mr. Gillingham, but you
never knew Mark Ablett. Even if he had not been a drunkard, there was
no chance for her of happiness with him. I had known him for many years,
but never once had I seen him moved by any generous emotion. To have
lived with that shrivelled little soul would have been hell for her; and
a thousand times worse hell when he began to drink.

"So he had to be killed. I was the only one left to protect her, for
her mother was in league with Mark to bring about her ruin. I would have
shot him openly for her sake, and with what gladness, but I had no mind
to sacrifice myself needlessly. He was in my power; I could persuade him
to almost anything by flattery; surely it would not be difficult to give
his death the appearance of an accident.

"I need not take up your time by telling you of the many plans I made
and rejected. For some days I inclined towards an unfortunate boating
accident in the pond--Mark, a very indifferent swimmer, myself almost
exhausted in a gallant attempt to hold him up. And then he himself gave
me the idea, he and Miss Norris between them, and so put himself in
my hands; without risk of discovery, I should have said, had you not
discovered me.

"We were talking about