id not know it, I
spoke. Varvilliers told me afterward that I muttered, "An accident--my
fault." I heard what they said, though I was unconscious of speaking
myself.

"It wasn't!" Coralie cried.

"On my honour, a pure accident," said Varvilliers.

Then the whole scene faded away from me.

[Illustration: "On my honour, a pure accident," said Varvilliers.]

There can be no doubt that it was Wetter's intention to take his own
life in case he hit me. I had discovered this resolution; Varvilliers
was not behind me. Had revolvers been employed no power could have
hindered Wetter from carrying out his purpose. But Varvilliers had
prevented this, and by despatching my antagonist to seek medical aid had
put him on his _parole_. He returned with one of my surgeons in a very
short space of time; perhaps the desperate fit had passed then, perhaps
he had come to feel that he must face the consequences of his act. I
know that Varvilliers spoke to him again and very urgently, obtaining at
last a pledge from him that he would at least await the verdict on my
case. But when he had fired at me he had considered himself as a man in
any event doomed to death. We are strangely at fault in our forecasts of
fate. He was uninjured; I, who had been confident of escaping unhurt,
lay on the edge between life and death. My presentiment was signally
falsified.

But we must be just even to superstitions. I had my presentiment, and it
was wrong. Coralie Mansoni also had hers, and most unfortunately, for
from hers came the sole danger that threatened the success of our scheme
and impaired the perfection of our pretences. Had William Adolphus been
a man of strong will no harm would have been done; but he was as wax in
her hands. When he left us, he went on his ride, and in the park he met
her, driving herself in her little pony-chaise. She had been quite
unable to sleep, she said, and had been tempted by the fine morning; had
he seen the King? William Adolphus, without a thought of indiscretion,
described how he had found us in the Pavilion. In an instant her mind,
inflamed by her fancies and readily suspicious, was on fire with fear;
fear turned to an instinctive certainty. My brother-in-law was amazed at
her agitation; she swept away his opposition; he must take her to the
Pavilion, or she would go alone; nothing else would serve. But he should
have held her where she was by main force rather than bring her; the one
fatal thing was to allow he