d I sat down and fell into a kind of
doze--a stupor, I suppose. I don't remember anything more. And then I
woke; like this.'

'How do you know?'

'How do I know what?'

'"Like that"?'

He turned slowly towards the looking-glass. 'Why, here I am!'

She gazed at him steadily; and a hard, incredulous, almost cunning glint
came into her wide blue eyes. She took up the key carelessly, glanced
at it; glanced at him. 'It has made me--I mean the first shock, you
know--it has made me a little faint.' She walked slowly, deliberately to
the door, and unlocked it. 'I'll get a little sal volatile.' She softly
drew out the key, and without once removing her eyes from his face,
opened the door and pushed the key noiselessly in on the other side.
'Please stay there; I won't be a minute.'

Lawford's face smiled--a rather desperate, yet for all that a patient,
resolute smile. 'Oh yes, of course,' he said, almost to himself, 'I had
not foreseen--at least--you must do precisely what you please, Sheila.
You were going to lock me in. You will, however, before taking any final
step, please think over what it will entail. I did not think you would,
after such proof, in this awful trouble--I did not think you would
simply disbelieve me, Sheila. Who else is there to help me? You have the
letter in your hand. Isn't that sufficient proof? It was overwhelming
proof to me. And even I doubted too; doubted myself. But never mind; why
I should have dreamed you would believe me; or taken this awful thing
differently, I don't know. It's rather awful to have to go on alone.
But there, think it over. I shall not stir until I hear the voices. And
then: honestly, Sheila, I couldn't face quite that. I'd sooner give up
altogether. Any proof you can think of--I will... O God, I cannot bear
it!' He covered his face with his hands; but in a moment looked up,
unmoved once more. 'Why, for that matter,' he added slowly, and, as it
were, with infinite pains, a faint thin smile again stealing into his
face, 'I think,' he turned wearily to the glass, 'I think, it's almost
an improvement!'

Something deep in those dark clear pupils, out of that lean adventurous
face, gleamed back at him, the distant flash of a heliograph, as it
were, height to height, flashing 'Courage!' He shuddered, and shut his
eyes. 'But I would really rather,' he aided in a quiet childlike way, 'I
would really rather, Sheila, you left me alone now.'

His wife stood irresolute. 'I understa