into motherhood."

"That is what I want," said Monsieur Dupont. "Her entry into
motherhood."

"The more I saw of her," continued the doctor, "the greater grew my
pity. There have been wonderful women in the world who have made history
by their patience and endurance--but this woman was one of those,
equally brave and equally patient, of whom history knows nothing. She
worshipped her husband, blindly, dumbly--as an animal will still love
the man or woman who ill-treats it. She never uttered a word of
complaint or blame. Her greatest hope was that the advent of the child
would induce from him something of the consideration and tenderness that
he had never given her. She believed it was some fault, some
shortcoming, of hers that had kept it from her. It didn't occur to her
that it might be the beauty of another woman."

"Ah!" said Monsieur Dupont eagerly.

"She discovered that about three months before the child was born. I
can't remember how the discovery came about. She followed him to
London--and found him, even that short time before the birth of his
child, lavishing on a beautiful society woman all that should have been
hers."

In spite of the years that had passed the doctor's voice still rose in
anger. He paused, checking himself.

"Before that supreme insult, that shattering of her hopes, the poor girl
lost her reason. In the state of her health, it was not surprising. She,
who would never have harmed a fly, who had never wished ill to any one
in her life, became possessed with an awful fury to stamp out the beauty
that had robbed her--to destroy the face and body that were more to the
man she loved than her own. The other woman, undeserving of
consideration as she was, narrowly escaped a horrible punishment. The
unfortunate girl was brought back here, and I was sent for to attend
her. She grew worse hour after hour. Her mind was completely unhinged.
From a furious hatred of the beauty of the woman who had wronged her,
the mania increased into a furious hatred of beauty in any shape or
form, and a savage lust to destroy it. In the house there were many
portraits of the beautiful women of the Winslowe family. She tore the
pictures to shreds. There were statues and valuable works of art. She
smashed them all to pulp. Her madness was the most terrible thing I
have ever seen. She had to be forcibly restrained."

Monsieur Dupont listened intently. There was an expression of triumph on
his face.

"A pitiful s