turn came. The foretaste of death made every one tranquil. Some of
them could not at first open their eyes, but all were alive, and Ivan
could not help thinking how wonderful is the strength of human nature.

He had saved them all, but the work was not yet finished. How if,
beyond the breach of which the engineer had spoken, there were more
men waiting for deliverance? One thing they must ascertain
positively--if the explosion had finished the work begun by the
engineer's men, and had carried away the wall which had divided one
pit from the other. If this were so, it would considerably lighten the
work of those who had come to seek for the victims. At the opening of
the breach-tunnel lay a man's body; he was such a charred, burned mass
that he was unrecognizable. The dead man held in his hand his
safety-lamp. _It was open._

So this was the accursed one who had done the hellish deed, and it was
human folly that had caused this demoniacal explosion.

The corpse was not recognizable, the clothing was burned to ashes. In
his girdle, however, they found a small steel casket, and in this
casket a gold watch; upon the enamelled back was the portrait of a
lovely woman.

When the watch was brought to Ivan he recognized the portrait. It was
Eveline. With the watch there was also a bank-note for a hundred
gulden. It was half burned. Upon the back was written:

"A year ago to-day I received this money; to-day I pay it back." What
a fearful repayment!

* * * * *

Ivan was now able to grasp the connection between the words and the
acts of this terrible man, whose recollection of his own act of eating
human flesh had prompted him to an unexampled and most horrid
massacre. His threats after Evila's elopement, his entering into the
company's service, the last occasion upon which he had drunk brandy,
and the breath he had blown into Ivan's face. All was now explained.
This was part of the drama. This man had a character such as
Antichrist might be possessed of. His soul and body were full of
concealed demons, who prompted him to take revenge of those who had
offended him, ridiculed him, stolen from him, scorned him, treated him
as a fool, insulted him with money, tempted him with luxuries, and
taken advantage of his simplicity to pull him by the nose.

All of them should fall. He would pull the foundation-stone from under
their feet, even if he dug his own grave in so doing. They should fall
fro