Ail things up to the present situation,
and all things I narrate after the termi
nation of this chapter. I expect to be
believed, Ido not say that such events
and coincidences are of every day occur-
Tiee. Had they been .so, ! should have
no object in writing this tale. But I do
say this, all else save this one thing I
could prove to be true, if not by direct,
by circumstantial evidence; all else can
be explained either simply or scientific
ally; but what follows I can only give
my word for. Call it what yon like,
dream, hallucination, overheated imag
ination-call it anything “ave invention
—I shall not be annoyed. This is what
happened.
Pauline at last lay still. Her moan
had sunk into silence. She .seemed once
more to have lost all con sciousness. My
cne idea now was to remove her as speed
ily as possible from this fatal place. All
sorts of strange thoughts and specula
tions were thronging my brain. All
sorts of hopes and fears were shaking
me. What would the explanation be,
if ever I could get it?
My poor darling lay still and peaceful
-1 thought 1 would let her rest so for a
few moments Indore I carried her ou*.
I dreaded what waking her might
mean. So I took her hand and held it
close in mine.
The candle was on the mantel-piece
behind ue\ It threw little or no light
into the front room, the folding doors
of which were only partially open - the
half behind the couch on which Pauline
lay closed. It was. therefore, impos
sible for me front my seat beside her to
look into the front room. Indeed, a- 1
sat then' my face was turned from it.
