red into an
attitude of such dignity and passion, that for a moment he took on
heroic proportions and we forgot that he had just proved himself to have
committed a cold-blooded and ghastly crime.

* * * * *

The stars were shining when we again took our seats in the boat; and if
the scene of our crossing to Jersey was impressive, what shall be said
of that of our return.

The Doctor, as before, sat in the stern, an awesome figure, upon which
the moon shone with a white radiance that seemed to lift his face out of
the surrounding darkness and set it, like an image of frozen horror,
before our eyes. Against his breast he held the form of his dead wife,
and now and then I saw him stoop as if he were listening for some tokens
of life at her set lips. Then he would lift himself again, with
hopelessness stamped upon his features, only to lean forward in renewed
hope that was again destined to disappointment.

The Inspector and the accompanying physician had taken seats in the bow,
and unto me had been assigned the special duty of watching over the
Doctor. This I did from a low seat in front of him. I was therefore so
close that I heard his laboring breath, and though my heart was full of
awe and compassion, I could not prevent myself from bending towards him
and saying these words:

"Dr. Zabriskie, the mystery of your crime is no longer a mystery to me.
Listen and see if I do not understand your temptation, and how you, a
conscientious and God-fearing man, came to slay your innocent neighbor.

"A friend of yours, or so he called himself, had for a long time filled
your ears with tales tending to make you suspicious of your wife and
jealous of a certain man whom I will not name. You knew that your friend
had a grudge against this man, and so for many months turned a deaf ear
to his insinuations. But finally some change which you detected in your
wife's bearing or conversation roused your own suspicions, and you began
to doubt if all was false that came to your ears, and to curse your
blindness, which in a measure rendered you helpless. The jealous fever
grew and had risen to a high point, when one night--a memorable
night--this friend met you just as you were leaving town, and with cruel
craft whispered in your ear that the man you hated was even then with
your wife, and that if you would return at once to your home you would
find him in her company.

"The demon that lurks at the heart of