acteristics of mind and heart which had made me hopeful of
winning her by this deed of blood. This revelation drove me almost
insane. Under the terrible restraint forced upon me, I walked my weary
round in a state of mind bordering on frenzy. Many and many a time have
I stopped in my work, wiped my pen and laid it down with the idea that
I could not repress myself another moment, but I have always taken it
up again and gone on with my task. Mr. Raymond has sometimes shown his
wonder at my sitting in my dead employer's chair. Great heaven! it was
my only safeguard. By keeping the murder constantly before my mind, I
was enabled to restrain myself from any inconsiderate action.

At last there came a time when my agony could be no longer suppressed.
Going down the stairs one evening with Mr. Raymond, I saw a strange
gentleman standing in the reception room, looking at Mary Leavenworth
in a way that would have made my blood boil, even if I had not heard him
whisper these words: "But you are my wife, and know it, whatever you may
say or do!"

It was the lightning-stroke of my life. After what I had done to make
her mine, to hear another claim her as already his own, was stunning,
maddening! It forced a demonstration from me. I had either to yell in
my fury or deal the man beneath some tremendous blow in my hatred. I did
not dare to shriek, so I struck the blow. Demanding his name from Mr.
Raymond, and hearing that it was, as I expected, Clavering, I flung
caution, reason, common sense, all to the winds, and in a moment of fury
denounced him as the murderer of Mr. Leavenworth.

The next instant I would have given worlds to recall my words. What had
I done but drawn attention to myself in thus accusing a man against whom
nothing could of course be proved! But recall now was impossible.
So, after a night of thought, I did the next best thing: gave a
superstitious reason for my action, and so restored myself to my former
position without eradicating from the mind of Mr. Raymond that vague
doubt of the man which my own safety demanded. But I had no intention of
going any further, nor should I have done so if I had not observed that
for some reason Mr. Raymond was willing to suspect Mr. Clavering. But
that once seen, revenge took possession of me, and I asked myself if the
burden of this crime could be thrown on this man. Still I do not believe
that any active results would have followed this self-questioning if I
had not overhea