ime. His death, _that_ time, had been a sudden shock, followed
instantly by the voice of Gwen herself, which he had recognised as the
last his ears had heard. If Death could be so easily negotiated, why
fuss? The only serious objection to suicide was its unpopularity with
survivors. But were they not sometimes a little selfish? Was this
selfishness not shown to demonstration by the gratitude--felt, beyond a
doubt--to the suicide who weights his pockets when he jumps into
mid-ocean, contrasted with the dissatisfaction, to say the least of it,
which the proprietor of a respectable first-class hotel feels when a
visitor poisons himself with the door locked, and engages the attention
of the Coroner. There was Irene certainly--and others--but after all it
would be a great gain to them, when the first grief was over, to have
got rid of a terrible encumbrance.

Therefore Adrian was quite at his ease about the Self-Denying Ordinance;
at least, if a clear resolve and a mind made up can give ease. He said
not a word of his views and intentions beyond what the story has already
recorded. What right had he to say anything to Gwen that would put
pressure on her inclinations? Had he not really said too much already?
At any rate, no more!

Nevertheless, the foregoing made up the background of his reflections as
he listened to more "Alceste," resumed after a short note had been
written for Onesimus to carry back over the frost-bound roads to
Chorlton. And he was able to trace the revival in his mind of suicide by
poison to Mrs. Picture's narration of the Dasyurus and the witch-doctor
who had cooked and eaten its body. This fiction of her fever-ridden
thoughts had set him a-thinking again of the Warroo conjurer. He had not
repeated any of it to Gwen, lest she should be alarmed on old Maisie's
behalf. For it had a very insane sound.

But after such a prosperous report of her condition, above all, of the
magical effect of that champagne, it seemed overnice to be making a
to-do about what was probably a mere effect of overheated fancy, such as
the circumstances might have produced in many a younger and stronger
person. So when Alceste had provided her last soprano song, and the
singer was looking for "Ifigenia in Aulide," Adrian felt at liberty to
say that old Mrs. Picture's ideas about possession were very funny and
interesting.

"Isn't it curious?" said Gwen. "She really believes it all, you know,
like Gospel. All that about the devi