t."

The judge's eyes were closed again. He had suddenly become a dead
weight on Rochester's arm. Vandermere, who had done amateur doctoring
at the war, brought a pillow for his head. They cut off more of his
clothes. They tried by every means to keep a flicker of life in him
until the doctor came. Only Rochester knew it was useless. He had seen
the shadow of death pass across the gray, stricken face.

CHAPTER IX

A SENTIMENTAL TALK

Lois opened the gate and stole into the lane with the air of a guilty
child. She gave a little gasp as she came face to face with Saton, and
picking up her skirts, seemed for a moment about to fly. He stood
quite still--his face was sad--almost reproachful. She dropped her
skirt and came slowly, doubtfully towards him.

"I have come," she said. "I was forced to come. Oh, Mr. Saton! How
could you?"

His features were wan. There were lines under his dark eyes. He was
looking thin and nervous. His voice, too, had lost some of its
pleasant qualities.

"My dear young lady," he said, "my dear Lois, what do you mean? You
don't suppose--you can't--that it was through me in any way that--that
thing happened?"

"Oh, I don't know!" she faltered, with white lips. "It was all so
horrible. You pointed to him, and your eyes when you looked at him
seemed to shine as though they were on fire. I saw him shrink away,
and the color leave his cheeks. It was horrible!"

"But, Lois," he protested, "you cannot imagine that by looking at a
man I could help to kill him? I can't explain what happened. As yet
there are things in the world which no one can explain. This is one of
them. I know a little more than most people. It is partly temperament,
perhaps--partly study, but it is surely true that I can sometimes feel
things coming. From the first moment I looked into Guerdon's face at
dinner-time, I knew what was going to happen. Out there in the hall I
felt it. Once before in South America, I saw a man shoot himself. I
tell you that I was certain of what he was going to do before I knew
that he had even a revolver in his pocket. It comes to me, the
knowledge of these things. I cannot be blamed for it. Some day I shall
write the first text-book that has ever been written of a new science.
I shall evolve the first few rudimentary laws, and after that the
thing will go easily. Every generation will add to them. But, Lois,
because I am the first, because I have seen a little further into the
world t