nge fatality to strengthen. Not only was it proved
that Mr. Leavenworth's own pistol had been used in the assassination,
and that too by a person then in the house, but I myself was brought
to acknowledge that Eleanore had learned from me, only a little while
before, how to load, aim, and fire this very pistol--a coincidence
mischievous enough to have been of the devil's own making.

Seeing all this, my fear of what the ladies would admit when questioned
became very great. Let them in their innocence acknowledge that, upon my
ascent, Mary had gone to her uncle's room for the purpose of persuading
him not to carry into effect the action he contemplated, and what
consequences might not ensue! I was in a torment of apprehension.
But events of which I had at that time no knowledge had occurred to
influence them. Eleanore, with some show of reason, as it seems, not
only suspected her cousin of the crime, but had informed her of the
fact, and Mary, overcome with terror at finding there was more or
less circumstantial evidence supporting the suspicion, decided to deny
whatever told against herself, trusting to Eleanore's generosity not to
be contradicted. Nor was her confidence misplaced. Though, by the course
she took, Eleanore was forced to deepen the prejudice already rife
against herself, she not only forbore to contradict her cousin, but when
a true answer would have injured her, actually refused to return any,
a lie being something she could not utter, even to save one especially
endeared to her.

This conduct of hers had one effect upon me. It aroused my admiration
and made me feel that here was a woman worth helping if assistance could
be given without danger to myself. Yet I doubt if my sympathy would have
led me into doing anything, if I had not perceived, by the stress laid
upon certain well-known matters, that actual danger hovered about us
all while the letter and key remained in the house. Even before the
handkerchief was produced, I had made up my mind to attempt their
destruction; but when that was brought up and shown, I became so alarmed
I immediately rose and, making my way under some pretence or other to
the floors above, snatched the key from the gas-fixture, the
lighters from the vase, and hastening with them down the hall to Mary
Leavenworth's room, went in under the expectation of finding a fire
there in which to destroy them. But, to my heavy disappointment, there
were only a few smoldering ashes in t