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confronts meI might shrink from the horrid idea; and; if I
could open the door; might try to get away。 Escape is impossible
now。 We are prisoners together。 But don't suppose that we are
alone。 There is a third person present; who will judge between
you and me。 Look there!〃

He pointed solemnly to the portrait of his wife。 It was a small
picture; very simply framed; representing the face in a
〃three…quarter〃 view; and part of the figure only。 As a work of
art it was contemptible; but; as a likeness; it answered its
purpose。 My unhappy friend stood before it; in an attitude of
dejection; covering his face with his hands。

In the interval of silence that followed; I was reminded that an
unseen friend was keeping watch outside。

Alarmed by having heard the key turned in the lock; and realizing
the embarrassment of the position in which I was placed; the
doctor had discovered a discreet way of communicating with me。 He
slipped one of his visiting…cards under the door; with these
words written on it: 〃How can I help you?〃

I took the pencil from my pocketbook; and wrote on the blank side
of the card: 〃He has thrown the key into the garden; look for it
under the window。〃 A glance at the Minister; before I returned my
reply; showed that his attitude was unchanged。 Without being seen
or suspected; I; in my turn; slipped the card under the door。

The slow minutes followed each otherand still nothing happened。

My anxiety to see how the doctor's search for the key was
succeeding; tempted me to approach the window。 On my way to it;
the tail of my coat threw down a little tray containing pens and
pencils; which had been left close to the edge of the table。
Slight as the noise of the fall was; it disturbed Mr。 Gracedieu。
He looked round vacantly。

〃I have been comforted by prayer;〃 he told me。 〃The weakness of
poor humanity has found strength in the Lord。〃 He pointed to the
portrait once more: 〃My hands must not presume to touch it; while
I am still in doubt。 Take it down。〃

I removed the picture and placed it; by his directions; on a
chair that stood midway between us。 To my surprise his tones
faltered; I saw tears rising in his eyes。 〃You may think you see
a picture there;〃 he said。 〃You are wrong。 You see my wife
herself。 Stand here; and look at my wife with me。〃

We stood together; with our eyes fixed on the portrait。

Without anything said or done on my part to irritate him; he
suddenly turned to me in a state of furious rage。 〃Not a sign of
sorrow!〃 he burst out。 〃Not a blush of shame! Wretch; you stand
condemned by the atrocious composure that I see in your face!〃

A first discovery of the odious suspicion of which I was the
object; dawned on my mind at that moment。 My capacity for
restraining myself completely failed me。 I spoke to him as if he
had been an accountable being。 〃Once for all;〃 I said; 〃tell me
what I have a right to know。 You suspect me of something。 What is
it?〃

Instead of directly replying; he seized my arm and led me to the
table。 〃Take up that paper;〃 he said。 〃There is writing on it。
Readand let Her judge between us。 Your life depends on how you
answer me。〃

Was there a weapon concealed in the room? or had he got it in the
pocket of his dressing…gown? I listened for the sound of the
doctor's returning footsteps in the passage outside; and heard
nothing。 My life had once depended; years since; on my success in
heading the arrest of an escaped prisoner。 I was not conscious;
then; of feeling my energies weakened by fear。 But _that_ man was
not mad; and I was younger; in those days; by a good twenty years
or more。 At my later time of life; I could show my old friend
that I was not afraid of himbut I was conscious of an effort in
doing it。

I opened the paper。 〃Am I to read this to myself?〃 I asked。 〃Or
am I to read it aloud?〃

〃Read it aloud!〃

In these terms; his daughter addressed him:


〃I have been so unfortunate; dearest father; as to displease you;
and I dare not hope that you will consent to receive me。 What it
is my painful duty to tell you; must be told in writing。

〃Grieved as I am to distress you; in your present state of
health; I must not hesitate to reveal what it has been my
misfortuneI may even say my misery; when I think of my
motherto discover。

〃But let me make sure; in such a serious matter as this is; that
I am not mistaken。

〃In those happy past days; when I was still dear to my father;
you said you thought of writing to invite a dearly…valued friend
to pay a visit to this house。 You had first known him; as I
understood; when my mother was still living。 Many interesting
things you told me about this old friend; but you never mentioned
that he knew; or that he had even seen; my mother。 I was left to
suppose that those two had remained strangers to each other to
the day of her death。

〃If there is any misinterpretation here of what you said; or
perhaps of what you meant to say; pray destroy what I have
written without turning to the next page; and forgive me for
having innocently startled you by a false alarm。〃


Mr。 Gracedieu interrupted me。

〃Put it down!〃 he cried; 〃I won't wait till you have got to the
endI shall question you now。 Give me the paper; it will help me
to keep this mystery of iniquity clear in my own mind。〃

I gave him the paper。

He hesitatedand looked at the portrait once more。 〃Turn her
away from me;〃 he said; 〃I can't face my wife。〃

I placed the picture with its back to him。

He consulted the paper; reading it with but little of the
confusion and hesitation which my experience of him had induced
me to anticipate。 Had the mad excitement that possessed him
exercised an influence in clearing his mind; resembling in some
degree the influence exercised by a storm in clearing the air?
Whatever the right explanation may be; I can only report what I
saw。 I could hardly have mastered what his daughter had written
more readily; if I had been reading it myself。

〃Helena tells me;〃 he began; 〃that you said you knew her by her
likeness to her mother。 Is that true?〃

〃Quite true。〃

〃And you made an excuse for leaving hersee! here it is; written
down。 You made an excuse; and left her when she asked for an
explanation。〃

〃I did。〃

He consulted the paper again。

〃My daughter saysNo! I won't be hurried and I won't be
interruptedshe says you were confused。 Is that so?〃

〃It is so。 Let your questions wait for a moment。 I wish to tell
you why I was confused。〃

〃Haven't I said I won't be interrupted? Do you think you can
shake _my_ resolution?〃 He referred to the paper again。 〃I have
lost the place。 It's your faultfind it for me。〃

The evidence which was intended to convict me was the evidence
which I was expected to find! I pointed it out to him。

His natural courtesy asserted itself in spite of his anger。 He
said 〃Thank you;〃 and questioned me the moment after as fiercely
as ever。 〃Go back to the time; sir; when we met in your rooms at
the prison。 Did you know my wife then?〃

〃Certainly not。〃

〃Did you and she see each otherha! I've got it nowdid you see
each other after I had left the town? No prevarication! You own
to telling Helena that you knew her by her likeness to her
mother。 You must have seen her mother。 Where?〃

I made another effort to defend myself。 He again refused
furiously to hear me。 It was useless to persist。 Whatever the
danger that threatened me might be; the sooner it showed itself
the easier I should feel。 I told him that Mrs。 Gracedieu had
called on me; after he and his wife had left the town。

〃Do you mean  to tell me;〃 he cried; 〃that She came to Yo u?〃

〃I do。〃

After that answer; he no longer required the paper to help him。
He threw it from him on the floor。

〃And you received her;〃 he said; 〃without inquiring whether I
knew of her visit or not? Guilty deception on your partguilty
deception on her part。 Oh; the hideous wickedness of it!〃

When his mad suspicion that I had been his wife's lover betrayed
itself in this way; I made a last attempt; in the face of my own
conviction that it was hopeless; to place my conduct and his
wife's conduct before him in the true light。

〃Mrs。 Gracedieu's object was to consult me〃 Before I could say
the next words; I saw him put his hand into the pocket of his
dressing…gown。

〃An innocent man;〃 he sternly declared; 〃would have told me that
my wife had been to see himyou kept it a secret。 An innocent
woman would have given me a reason for wishing to go to youshe
kept it a secret; when she left my house; she kept it a secret
when she came back。〃

〃Mr。 Gracedieu; I insist on being heard! Your wife's motive〃

He drew from his pocket the thing that he had hidden from me。
This time; there was no concealment; he let me see that he was
opening a razor。 It was no time for asserting my innocence; I had
to think of preserving my life。 When a man is without firearms;
what defense can avail against a razor in the hands of a madman?
A chair was at my side; it offered the one poor means of guarding
myself that I could see。 I laid my hand on it; and kept my eye on
him。

He paused; looking backward and forward between the picture and
me。

〃Which of t

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