Year: 1875

| iihoSo' DuI he sdiu, almost IN the same
breath, that he had never been Frustrated,
even for single day. gazed at him for
long time, dimly perceiving beneath the
proposal for the alliance an act Of gener-
osity toward myself


remember that every thing in they room
accorded with my estimate of his charac-
ter. His furniture was massive his floors
were bare, but furnished with scant rugs:
his pictures were few, but they were ex-
cellent copies of anteques his library was
large and we'll used, and his tables were
covered with papers and books of refer
ence. | should have declared that such an
apartment must belong TO some such man.


Besides the pictures, | saw but two
graceful things. The first was the grand
face of the man, and the second was the
| duplicate to the vase which had in my
room.


1t stood upon the working table, half in
closed in :; velvet box.


The instant that observed it my power
of abstraction failed me completely l
was no longer capable of separating my
thoughts from the subject that lay upper
most in my mind. paid no attention
whatever to what my host said; | was
concerned with what thought was hidden
in his breast.


lie treated me as a boy as | was think
he read me 4 little Wordsworth and lit
tie Horace, though | am not sure.


staid for Il single confused and bewil-
dered hour, and l believe gained from
him what was my due--an opinion that
was stupid beyond the ordinary meaning
of the word.


when returned TO my own rOom-and
do not remember the circumstances un-
der which left the other-I fell upon my
knees in the dark, and sought for guidance


How could dare. alone, to mcddle in
the workings Of this mans life +? How
could l determined, unaided, whether l
was about to let in Il flood OF radiance. or
was about to eXtinguish the faint light that
already existed? Had the courage, sim
gle-handed, to dissolve in moment the
barrier of selfdenial, of forgetfulness


| was Summoned to re-establish love; TO
unveil to each other two people whose
sympathies, it may have been said, had
been outlawed, | was selected by chance
to lead tempest into the calm life of my
beloved aunt, to destroy the tranquility
that she had won by constant invocation OF
the aid of Heaven


What wonder was it, then, that sought
help to strengthen my hands?
The next day came. | watched for an
opportunity. Ihad adopted a simple plan,
and only awaited fitting moment to car
ry it into execution. This moment did not
come until three O'Clock in the afternoon.
| then heard Parry leave his room and 90
down the stairs.


The sky was overcast with now-clouds,
and it promised to be dark at an early
hour. | found the porter, and persuaded
him to unlock the door. and then placed
my vase upon Parry's cabinet. which stood
exactly opposite his table and in plain sight
from his chair. then quilted the place,
caused the door to be locked, and retired
to my own parlor to await the dreaded
discovery.


The hali-hour that ensued was most
wretchcd one. My temperament being of
the nervous order, was reduced in this
short time TO state of illness by the
anxieties that beset me. | knew that nv
neighbor's movements in the afternoons
We're somewhat crratlc, and therefore
expected his return at any moment


At the expiration of about thirty min
utes heard him reascending the stairs |
bolted my outer door, and replaced my
shoes with Il pair Of soft slippers, and kept
a profound silence





near the entrance, probably to divest him
self of his outer clothing, and then advance
directly toward the table.


followed him on my side of the wall
One of his boots creaked very little, and
this assisted me to keep trac eof him. He
sat down in his armchair; l heard the legs
move upon the floor. He was now direct
ly before the vase he had but to raise his
eyes to see it.


NV sense of hearing was strained to the
uttermost. pressed my ear to the wall
and | heard the rattle of the particles of
plaster that were shaken down by the Jar
ring from the streets. All else was silent
There was no noise of rafting paper or
opening books. | decided that the man
was sitting with his face buried in his
hands. Two. three, four minutes passed
in this suspense.


Suddenly | heard the noise of slight
movement; then there was a bound. and
a crash of the falling chair; and then there
was a rush toward the cabinet. | heard
slight tinhle as the ring upon his hand
struck against the vase.


l heard him say, in q loud voice, 'Mer.
ciful God. what can be the meaning OF
this ? Then there were two or three in
halations of breath that were so loud that
/ heard them distinctly. Then another
deep and telling silence. Then the vase
fell with clatter upon the floor and rolled
away, its bosses beating a tiny tattoo upon
the polished marquetry. Then the cabi-
net creaked as if it were sustaining a lean
ing weight, and then followed another
long silence; SO long, indeed, that finally
crept to a chair and sat down. For fully
ten minutes nothing occurred


All at once he began to walk up and
down the entire length of his room. He
seemed to grow more violent at each turn
and to my fancy his figure rose to its full
height as he came to suspect that he was
the object of some trick or some accident.


Suddenly he approached the wall. He
listened for some sign that | was present
in my room. Then, with hurried feet, he
crossed to the door. passed into the corri-
dor, came to mine. and delivered upon
the panel knocking that seemed almost
to drag me from my seat He repeated
it again and again, each blow being loud
er and more Imperative; but finally he
desisted, and, quaking with fear. was
left in peace Then he walked up and
| y -. aohoipU apfry That Walk