g, but not enough. I came back to this country just after you
sailed from Europe, and even before I ever saw the woman who became your
wife, or your sister, I had formed my plan--it succeeded. I met that
bunch of flimsy falsehood--I made her love me--made her mad for me--you
wince--I'm glad of it. But mind me, I would not have married her after
all, but that I thought she had inherited half her old uncle's property.
It would not have been worth while to saddle myself with a thing like
that. Then came your turn to laugh, if you had but known it. I was taken
in--sold. The creature had not a cent, and no hope of one if she
offended you.

"It was a hateful position, especially as I did not care for the pretty
fool after the speculation failed, and what's better, she soon got over
caring for me, just as the other did, and wanted to be off her bargain.
I had given her a glimpse or two of my way of life. That did not
frighten her, but my poverty did. This little sister of yours has
luxurious tastes, and understands the value of wealth uncommonly well.
But she had told me just how far you had made your wife independent in
means. It was a pretty sum, and I saw a way of getting it.

"Elsie had told me a great deal about your wife, and I made my own
observations, though she detested me from the first, some women will
take such fancies. I say nothing of certain wires that I had laid in the
basement region of your house.

"The little goose yonder really believed that you had married that
glorious woman only as a companion for her--that you did not love her in
the least. I knew better; she was a woman to adore, worship for ever and
ever: and you are no fool in such matters, I know that of old our tastes
in that direction have always harmonized beautifully. Your wife adored
you; I can say this now that you have killed her, but that little witch
convinced her of the story she told me, and it was breaking her heart,
for that woman had a heart.

"To save you from trouble and the creature that you worshipped even in
her presence from disgrace, I knew that she would give up everything,
even her life, which you have taken at last.

"I told Elsie the truth, after I got a little tired of her, which was
early in the honeymoon; let her know frankly that I had a wife living in
Europe, though it was impossible for any one to prove it against my
will. The very day that I told her this I managed to convey some of her
letters to me--fond, silly