r-stricken at the wild
spectacle he presented. His face, wasted to a mere skeleton, was ghastly
white, while his long yellow hair hung in matted locks about his brow, and
a look of wild frenzy was in his eye, as darting toward the paralyzed
Julia, he seized her as with a lion's grasp and shook her most furiously.

Bill Jeffrey was close behind. He had lost his hat and the rain had soaked
his thick hair until it clung closely to his head, giving him, too, a
strange appearance. Mr. William Middleton now came forward to ask an
explanation of Joseph, who, chancing to see Bill, said, "He's got the
letter--my confession. Read that--I am too exhausted," and he fell upon the
floor.

No one noticed him, for all gazed intently at Bill, who drew from his
pocket a paper and presented it to Dr. Lacey. In a calm, clear voice, Dr.
Lacey read aloud the confession, in the midst of thunder, lightning,
groans, cries and oaths, the latter of which were the spontaneous
production of Uncle Joshua, who sat still in his chair until the
confession was read through; then with one bound he reached Julia, and
raising her from the floor, said, "Speak, Satan, and tell if this is
true!"

Julia was overtaken, surrounded on all sides, and there was no way of
escape. Mechanically, she answered, "I am guilty," while a burst of
execration ran round the room. A stifled moan of agony came from Dr.
Lacey's parted lips, and he asked in a voice which plainly told his
suffering, "Oh, why was I suffered to go thus far? Why, why did no one
write?"

"I did," answered Mrs. Miller.

"And I, too," repeated Mrs. Carrington, "but you spurned my letter and
treated me with contempt."

"Never, never," scarcely articulated Dr. Lacey. "I never received them;
but call Rondeau; he must know something of it."

Rondeau, who had accompanied his master, was called. Explanation followed
explanation, testimony crowded upon testimony, and Julia acknowledged all,
until at length Dr. Lacey, frantic with the sense of wrong done him,
turned to her and said, "Base woman, why have you done this? Your sin has
found you out ere it was too late; for, thank God, you are not my wife,
nor ever will be!"

Julia now lost all command of herself. Tearing the bridal veil from her
brow, she rent it in twain; then from her arm she snatched her diamond
bracelet, and trampled it under her feet, while a stream of blood issued
from her mouth and stained her white satin dress. A moment more, and