as bare. I waited for damnation--but
there is no damnation. There is only Building. I went out from the
presence of God--a Builder."

His face was transformed. His voice rang with triumph--with the pride of
victory.

"I came to myself. It was like waking from the dead. It was a long time
before I recovered even a little of my strength. Every hand was against
me--except my mother's. She stood by me. When she died, a year later, I
inherited the whole of her fortune. The others tried to take it away
from me, but I fought them. I had new uses for the money. I came over to
this country, and began my work. For four years I have given myself and
all I have. Go and see for yourself what I have done. Go and see the
men, women, and children who would die for me. Go and hear them bless my
name. Hear of the lives I have built--the light I have brought. I have
filled up my credit side. I have a balance in hand in the Book of Life."

Inspector Fay remained silent. He was a severely practical man. Before
his mind there was only the outcome of the interview. The young man
controlled himself with an effort. His excitement passed. He was again
quiet and composed.

"None of my old passions or inclinations remained--except my love for
Thea. I couldn't crush it. I fought against it with all my strength. I
struggled to stamp it out, but it was unconquerable. Her face was always
in front of me, day and night. Her voice was always in my ears. I
couldn't escape. I heard nothing more of her until about six weeks ago,
when I saw a photograph of her in one of the papers under the name of
Christine Manderson, with a statement that she had arrived in London to
play at the Imperial Theater. The longing to see her again was too
strong for me. Day after day I waited outside the stage-door of the
theater--until she came, in all her fatal, maddening beauty. We stood
facing each other ... and she passed me by without a word."

His voice broke. He pressed his thin hands together.

"The madness came over me again. The sight of her fanned all the old
flames. I was on fire. I tried to follow her, but they kept me out. I
wrote to her that night, telling her what I had done, how I had
suffered, and begging, imploring her to let me see her. The answer was
a curt note, in the third person, saying that she declined to receive
any communication from me whatsoever."

Again he paused. The inspector made no comment.

"I found out where she was staying, what h