influence over
her, when she forced her way into your room in London?'

'I remember it perfectly. Why do you ask?'

'For this reason. In the present state of her mind, I doubt if she
will be much longer capable of realizing her wild idea of you as the
avenging angel who is to bring her to a reckoning for her evil deeds.
It may be well to try what your influence can do while she is still
capable of feeling it.'

He waited to hear what Agnes would say. She took his arm and led him
in silence to the door.

They ascended to the second floor, and, after knocking, entered the
Countess's room.

She was still busily engaged in writing. When she looked up from the
paper, and saw Agnes, a vacant expression of doubt was the only
expression in her wild black eyes. After a few moments, the lost
remembrances and associations appeared to return slowly to her mind.
The pen dropped from her hand. Haggard and trembling, she looked
closer at Agnes, and recognised her at last. 'Has the time come
already?' she said in low awe-struck tones. 'Give me a little longer
respite, I haven't done my writing yet!'

She dropped on her knees, and held out her clasped hands entreatingly.
Agnes was far from having recovered, after the shock that she had
suffered in the night: her nerves were far from being equal to the
strain that was now laid on them. She was so startled by the change in
the Countess, that she was at a loss what to say or to do next. Henry
was obliged to speak to her. 'Put your questions while you have the
chance,' he said, lowering his voice. 'See! the vacant look is coming
over her face again.'

Agnes tried to rally her courage. 'You were in my room last night--'
she began. Before she could add a word more, the Countess lifted her
hands, and wrung them above her head with a low moan of horror. Agnes
shrank back, and turned as if to leave the room. Henry stopped her,
and whispered to her to try again. She obeyed him after an effort. 'I
slept last night in the room that you gave up to me,' she resumed. 'I
saw--'

The Countess suddenly rose to her feet. 'No more of that,' she cried.
'Oh, Jesu Maria! do you think I want to be told what you saw? Do you
think I don't know what it means for you and for me? Decide for
yourself, Miss. Examine your own mind. Are you well assured that the
day of reckoning has come at last? Are you ready to follow me back,
through the crimes of the past, to the secrets of the dead?'

She returned ag