he stranger, and honourably strove to dismiss the tenant of No. 13 and
his tantalising environments from his mind. But such dismissal of
unworthy curiosity was more difficult to effect than he expected.

For the next week Lucian resolutely banished the subject from his
thoughts, and declined to discuss the matter further with Miss Greeb.
That little woman, all on fire with curiosity, made various inquiries of
her gossips regarding the doings of Mr. Berwin, and in default of
reporting the same to her lodger, occupied herself in discussing them
with her neighbours. The consequence of this incessant gossip was that
the eyes of the whole square fixed themselves on No. 13 in expectation
of some catastrophe, although no one knew exactly what was going to
happen.

This undefinable feeling of impending disaster communicating itself to
Lucian, stimulated his curiosity to such a pitch that, with some feeling
of shame for his weakness, he walked round the square on two several
evenings in the hope of meeting Berwin. But on both occasions he was
unsuccessful.

On the third evening he was more fortunate, for having worked at his
law books until late at night, he went out for a brisk walk before
retiring to rest. The night was cold, and there had been a slight fall
of snow, so Lucian wrapped himself up well, lighted his pipe, and
proceeded to take the air by tramping twice or thrice round the square.
Overhead the sky was clear and frosty, with chill glittering stars and a
wintry moon. A thin covering of snow lay on the pavement, and there was
a white rime on the bare branches of the central trees.

On coming to the house of Berwin, the barrister saw that the
sitting-room was lighted up and the curtains undrawn, so that the window
presented a square of illuminated blind. Even as he looked, two shadows
darkened the white surface--the shadows of a man and a woman. Evidently
they had come between the lamp and the window, and so, quite
unknowingly, revealed their actions to the watcher. Curious to see the
end of this shadow pantomime, Lucian stood still and looked intently at
the window.

The two figures seemed to be arguing, for their heads nodded violently
and their arms waved constantly. They retreated out of the sphere of
light, and again came into it, still continuing their furious gestures.
Unexpectedly the male shadow seized the female by the throat and swung
her like a feather to and fro. The struggling figures reeled out of