ought it, until my hands grew greasy from the
wounds where the nails bit my palms, then I lost control; of what
follows all is confused.

I dimly see myself leaping at him like a wild animal; I feel the
tightening of the big neck muscles as my fingers closed on his throat;
I feel a soft breath of night air as we neared the open window; then
in my hands a sudden lightness, and in my ears a cry of terror.

I awoke at a pounding on the door. It seemed hours later, though it
must have been but seconds. I arose--and was alone. The window was
wide open; in the street below, a crowd was gathering on the run,
while a policeman's shrill whistle rang out on the night. A hundred
faces were turned toward me as I looked down and I dimly wondered
thereat.

The knocking on the door became more insistent. I turned the lock,
slowly, and a woman rushed into the room. Something about her seemed
familiar to me. I passed my hand over my forehead--but it was useless.
I bowed low and started to walk out, but she seized me by the arm,
calling my name, pleadingly. Her soft brown hair was all loose and
hanging, and her big eyes swimming; her whole body trembled so that
she could scarcely speak.

The grip of the white hand on my arm tightened.

"Oh! You must not go," she cried; "you cannot."

I tried gently to shake her off, but she clung more closely than
before.

"You must let me explain," she wailed. "I call God to witness, I was
not to blame." She drew a case from the bosom of her dress.

"Here are those stones; I never wore them. I wanted to, God knows, but
I couldn't. Take them, I beg of you." She thrust the case into my
pocket. "He made me take them, you understand; made me do everything
from the first. I loved him once, long ago, and since then I couldn't
get away. I can't explain." She was pleading as I never heard woman
plead before. "Forgive me--tell me you forgive me--speak to me." The
grip on my arm loosened and her voice dropped.

"Oh! God, to have brought this on you when I loved you!"

The words sounded in my ears, but made no impression. It all seemed
very, very strange. Why should she say such things to me? She must be
mistaken--must take me for another.

I broke away from her grasp, and groped staggeringly toward the door.
A weariness intense was upon me and I wanted to be home alone. As I
moved away, I heard behind me a swift step as though she would follow,
and my name called softly, then another movement, away.