t look at her--I
couldn't speak to her. I left her (with the knife in my hand), and went
out into the night.

There was a bleak wind abroad, and the smell of rain was in the air. The
church clocks chimed the quarter as I walked beyond the last house in the
town. I asked the first policeman I met what hour that was, of which the
quarter past had just struck.

The man looked at his watch, and answered, "Two o'clock." Two in the
morning. What day of the month was this day that had just begun? I
reckoned it up from the date of my mother's funeral. The horrid parallel
between the dream and the reality was complete--it was my birthday!

Had I escaped, the mortal peril which the dream foretold? or had I only
received a second warning? As that doubt crossed my mind I stopped on my
way out of the town. The air had revived me--I felt in some degree like my
own self again. After a little thinking, I began to see plainly the
mistake I had made in leaving my wife free to go where she liked and to do
as she pleased.

I turned instantly, and made my way back to the house. It was still dark.
I had left the candle burning in the bedchamber. When I looked up to the
window of the room now, there was no light in it. I advanced to the house
door. On going away, I remembered to have closed it; on trying it now, I
found it open.

I waited outside, never losing sight of the house till daylight. Then I
ventured indoors--listened, and heard nothing--looked into the kitchen,
scullery, parlor, and found nothing--went up at last into the bedroom. It
was empty.

A picklock lay on the floor, which told me how she had gained entrance in
the night. And that was the one trace I could find of the Dream Woman.

XIII

I waited in the house till the town was astir for the day, and then I went
to consult a lawyer. In the confused state of my mind at the time, I had
one clear notion of what I meant to do: I was determined to sell my house
and leave the neighborhood. There were obstacles in the way which I had
not counted on. I was told I had creditors to satisfy before I could
leave--I, who had given my wife the money to pay my bills regularly every
week! Inquiry showed that she had embezzled every farthing of the money I
had intrusted to her. I had no choice but to pay over again.

Placed in this awkward position, my first duty was to set things right,
with the help of my lawyer. During my forced sojourn in the town I did two
foolish things. And