LIV.

THE ATTEMPT AND NOT THE DEED CONFOUNDS US.

The tailor's hand was on the lock of the door when he first saw the
flash of the fire, and then felt that he was wounded. Though his back
was turned to the woman he distinctly saw the flash, but he never
could remember that he had heard the report. He knew nothing of the
nature of the injury he had received, and was hardly aware of the
place in which he had been struck, when he half closed the door
behind him and then staggered against the opposite wall. For a moment
he was sick, almost to fainting, but yet he did not believe that he
had been grievously hurt. He was, however, disabled, weak, and almost
incapable of any action. He seated himself on the lowest stair, and
began to think. The woman had intended to murder him! She had lured
him there with the premeditated intention of destroying him! And this
was the mother of his bride,--the woman whom he intended to call his
mother-in-law! He was not dead, nor did he believe that he was like
to die; but had she killed him,--what must have been the fate of the
murderess! As it was, would it not be necessary that she should be
handed over to the law, and dealt with for the offence? He did not
know that they might not even hang her for the attempt.

He said afterwards that he thought that he sat there for a quarter of
an hour. Three minutes, however, had not passed before Mrs. Richards,
ascending from the kitchen, found him upon the stairs. "What is it,
Mr. Thwaite?" said she.

"Is anything the matter?" he asked with a faint smile.

"The place is full of smoke," she said, "and there is a smell of
gunpowder."

"There is no harm done at any rate," he answered.

"I thought I heard a something go off," said Sarah, who was behind
Mrs. Richards.

"Did you?" said he. "I heard nothing; but there certainly is a
smoke," and he still smiled.

"What are you sitting there for, Mr. Thwaite?" asked Mrs. Richards.

"You ain't no business to sit there, Mr. Thwaite," said Sarah.

"You've been and done something to the Countess," said Mrs. Richards.

"The Countess is all right. I'm going up-stairs to see Lady
Anna;--that's all. But I've hurt myself a little. I'm bad in my left
shoulder, and I sat down just to get a rest." As he spoke he was
still smiling.

Then the woman looked at him and saw that he was very pale. At that
instant he was in great pain, though he felt that as the sense of
intense sickness was leaving him he wou