.'

She thought I was mad, and rose on the impulse to summon help.

'Do not stir a step,' I said, aiming a pistol at her, 'or it will be
your last.' She stopped, without exhibiting the least symptom of fear,
but simply because she saw that to proceed would be useless.

'Ha! ha! Evelyn,' said I, forcing an imitation of incoherent laughter,
'I am but trifling with you. I am not mad. I sought but to rouse some
passion in you--either of fear or of anger. But, alas! I have not
sufficient power over you even for that. Sit down. I have something to
relate. When I have ended, these pistols may be useful for one or both
of us. But you do not fear them. I have long known that life was too
valueless to you for fear of losing it to make any impression.'

She saw that something unusual was impending--what she did not fully
understand, but calmly took her seat to await it. At this moment a
servant knocked and entered with a letter. I mechanically opened it and
read. It was an announcement from my partners that my inattention to the
business had involved us all in ruin. The clerk to whom I had entrusted
it (the sporting character before mentioned) had defaulted and fled. He
had contracted large debts in the name of the firm, and gambled away all
the accessible funds. The ruin was supposed to be irretrievable, and
with many bitter reproaches I was summoned to return with speed to
extricate affairs, and--make such reparation as I could.

The letter filled me with almost demoniacal joy. I was ruined, and for
her sake. I gloated over the thought.

'These weapons will now be useless,' said I. 'Place them on the shelf
beside you. This letter will answer in their stead.'

She obeyed me, and I then related the information I had received. 'This
ruin comes upon me through you.' She thought I was about to make a
vulgar complaint of extravagance, and for once flushed with anger.
'Remain entirely quiet,' I said. 'Hear me, but do not interrupt by word
or gesture. You do not yet understand me.'

Then I entered on all the particulars of my life; recounted my passion
for her; told how in my mad infatuation I had bargained for her; how in
my selfish exultation I had assumed all the freedoms of love, never
stopping to question my right to exercise them; how I was aroused from
my stupid content by accidentally witnessing her interview with Frank. I
related the feelings this excited within me; how for the first time I
learned the miserable and con