rd,"
said he.

He wrote no more to Madelon, but now to Burr:

"Dear Cousin," he wrote, "I have this day discovered that my life is
in imminent danger from the wound. If my death comes in that wise
there will be trouble. I take the only way to save her, but I pray
you, upon your honor, that you do not let her know, for even your
love cannot sweeten her life fully for her if she knows; for love has
taught me the heart of this woman. To you alone, for the sake of the
honor of our blood, which has never been shed by our own hands
before, I disclose this; for I would be set right in the eyes of one
man when I am dead."

Lot Gordon pondered long over that; but finally tore up that as he
had torn the others, and gathered up all the fragments and crawled
across the room with them, and threw them on the hearthfire.

Then, leaving them blazing there, he returned to his desk, and wrote:

"_To all whom it may concern, or to all whom in their own estimation
it may concern, this:_

"I, Lot Gordon, of Ware Centre, being weary of life, which is a
dream, have resolved to force the waking. Having once before
attempted in vain to take my life, I now attempt it again, and this
time not in vain, for my hand has grown skilful with practice. I take
my life because of no wrong done me by man or woman, nor because of
any vain love; I take it solely because my days upon this earth being
numbered through my distress of the lungs, I have not the courage to
see death approach by inches, and prefer to meet him at one bound. I
have lived unto myself, with no man accountable, and I die unto
myself, with no man accountable; and this is the truth with my last
breath.

"Lot Gordon."

This last Lot folded neatly and addressed it "To my fellow-townsmen,"
and laid it in a conspicuous place on his desk, and then wrote on
another sheet and put that in his pocket. Then he opened a drawer of
the desk, and took out all the trinkets which he had offered Madelon,
in their pretty cases, and with them in his hands crept out of the
room, and up-stairs, into the chamber which he had caused to be
decked out so newly and grandly when he had thought to marry her.
There was a great carven chest in a corner of the room, which Lot
unlocked, and took from thence all those rich fabrics which he had
bought for Madelon. And then he laid them all--the silken stuffs and
plumes and fine linens and jewels--out on the great bed, under the
grand canopy, and placed on t