re happiness.

"And," he muttered aloud with a bitter sigh, "living--as great a barrier
still."

"If he would but die," something seemed to say; "and free her."

But he shook his head directly.

"A vain hope," he said--"a vain hope."

He shuddered and clenched his hands, closing his eyes directly after,
for a maddening, horrible feeling of temptation had come over him. They
were alone in that solitary room--he with this wretch whose existence in
his sane moments was a curse; and who now, as he lay back there feeble,
vacuous, existing only in body, not in mind, was a mere blot upon the
earth, less worthy of the space he occupied than the vilest animal
classed as vermin, and which man crushed out of his way without
compunction, without a second thought. What sin would it be to quench
the flickering life before him? He must give up all hope of ever
clasping Myra to his heart, as he had given it up before, and suffer as
he had suffered then; but she would be free. There would never then be
any possibility of her coming face to face with this horror. And it
would be so easy! One firm grasp of his nervous fingers, and the feeble
beating of the miserable wretch's arteries would cease.

And after?

Brettison would return and find that his preparations had been vain--
that the man was lying back there in his chair--dead from a fit--the
precarious life had come to an end, as might have been foretold after
such a seizure--such a stroke. And it would be so easy--so easy.

Stratton opened his eyes and stood gazing down at the vacant face with
the lids half-closed now, and remained there as if fascinated, unable to
drag himself away till, with one vigorous wrench, he turned and
literally rushed into his chamber to prepare for the journey.

He was absent about half an hour before he returned to make a few more
preparations there.

He went about the room opening cabinet and case to find money and other
necessaries for his journey, busying himself, and taking care not to let
his eyes rest for a moment on the figure sitting back in the chair and
uneasily moving from time to time.

"He is safe with me--safe with me," Stratton muttered as he went to and
from his bedroom. "What thoughts will force themselves into a man's
head at times!"

The hours had glided by till it had grown quite dark, and still he was
busy for the sake of occupying himself. But at last he could see to do
no more, and he went softly to a drawer