〃I　did　not　attempt　to　abandon　the　woman；　but　went　to　her　from　time
  to　time　in　disguise　and　under　cover　of　the　greatest　secrecy。　　For　a
  time　everything　ran　smooth；　the　woman　was　still　devoted　to　me　above
  everything　else；　and　thought　always　of　my　welfare　first　and　seemed
  content　to　wait　so　long　as　I　thought　best。　　My　business　expanded。
  I　was　sought　after　and　consulted　and　drawn　into　the　higher　life　of
  New　York；　and　more　and　more　felt　that　the　woman　was　an　albatross　on
  my　neck。　　I　put　her　off　with　one　excuse　after　another。　　Finally　she
  began　to　suspect　me　and　demanded　that　I　should　recognize　her　as　my
  wife。　　I　attempted　to　point　out　the　difficulties。　　She　met　them　all
  by　saying　that　we　should　both　go　to　Spain；　there　I　could　marry　her
  and　we　could　return　to　America　and　drop　into　my　place　in　society
  without　causing　more　than　a　passing　comment。
  〃I　concluded　to　meet　the　matter　squarely　once　for　all。　　I　said　that
  I　would　convert　half　of　the　property　into　money　and　give　it　to　her；
  but　that　I　would　not　marry　her。　　She　did　not　fly　into　a　storming
  rage　as　I　had　expected；　but　went　quietly　out　of　the　room　and
  presently　returned　with　two　papers；　which　she　read。　　One　was　the
  certificate　of　her　marriage　to　Walcott　duly　authenticated；　the
  other　was　the　dying　statement　of　her　father；　the　Mexican　gambler；
  and　of　Samuel　Walcott；　charging　me　with　murder。　　It　was　in　proper
  form　and　certified　by　the　Jesuit　priest。
  〃'Now；'　she　said；　sweetly；　when　she　had　finished；　'which　do　you
  prefer；　to　recognize　your　wife；　or　to　turn　all　the　property　over　to
  Samuel　Walcott's　widow　and　hang　for　his　murder？'
  〃I　was　dumfounded　and　horrified。　　I　saw　the　trap　that　I　was　in　and
  I　consented　to　do　anything　she　should　say　if　she　would　only　destroy
  the　papers。　　This　she　refused　to　do。　　I　pleaded　with　her　and
  implored　her　to　destroy　them。　　Finally　she　gave　them　to　me　with　a
  great　show　of　returning　confidence；　and　I　tore　them　into　bits　and
  threw　them　into　the　fire。
  〃That　was　three　months　ago。　　We　arranged　to　go　to　Spain　and　do　as
  she　said。　　She　was　to　sail　this　morning　and　I　was　to　follow。　　Of
  course　I　never　intended　to　go。　　I　congratulated　myself　on　the　fact
  that　all　trace　of　evidence　against　me　was　destroyed　and　that　her
  grip　was　now　broken。　　My　plan　was　to　induce　her　to　sail；　believing
  that　I　would　follow。　　When　she　was　gone　I　would　marry　Miss　St。
  Clair；　and　if　Nina　San　Croix　should　return　I　would　defy　her　and
  lock　her　up　as　a　lunatic。　　But　I　was　reckoning　like　an　infernal
  ass；　to　imagine　for　a　moment　that　I　could　thus　hoodwink　such　a
  woman　as　Nina　San　Croix。
  〃To…night　I　received　this。〃　　Walcott　took　the　envelope　from　his
  pocket　and　gave　it　to　Mason。　　〃You　saw　the　effect　of　it；　read　it
  and　you　will　understand　why。　　I　felt　the　death　hand　when　I　saw　her
  writing　on　the　envelope。〃
  Mason　took　the　paper　from　the　envelope。　　It　was　written　in　Spanish；
  and　ran：
  〃Greeting　to　RICHARD　WARREN。
  〃The　great　Senor　does　his　little　Nina　injustice　to　think　she　would
  go　away　to　Spain　and　leave　him　to　the　beautiful　American。　　She　is
  not　so　thoughtless。　　Before　she　goes；　she　shall　be；　Oh　so　very
  rich！　and　the　dear　Senor　shall　be；　Oh　so　very　safe！　　The　Archbishop
  and　the　kind　Church　hate　murderers。
  〃NINA　SAN　CROIX。
  〃Of　course；　fool；　the　papers　you　destroyed　were　copies。
  〃N。　SAN　C。〃
  To　this　was　pinned　a　line　in　a　delicate　aristocratic　hand　saying
  that　the　Archbishop　would　willingly　listen　to　Madam　San　Croix's
  statement　if　she　would　come　to　him　on　Friday　morning　at　eleven。
  〃You　see；〃　said　Walcott；　desperately；　〃there　is　no　possible　way
  out。　　I　know　the　womanwhen　she　decides　to　do　a　thing　that　is　the
  end　of　it。　　She　has　decided　to　do　this。〃
  Mason　turned　around　from　the　table；　stretched　out　his　long　legs；
  and　thrust　his　hands　deep　into　his　pockets。　　Walcott　sat　with　his
  head　down；　watching　Mason　hopelessly；　almost　indifferently；　his
  face　blank　and　sunken。　　The　ticking　of　the　bronze　clock　on　the
  mantel　shelf　was　loud；　painfully　loud。　　Suddenly　Mason　drew　his
  knees　in　and　bent　over；　put　both　his　bony　hands　on　the　table；　and
  looked　at　Walcott。
  〃Sir；〃　he　said；　〃this　matter　is　in　such　shape　that　there　is　only
  one　thing　to　do。　　This　growth　must　be　cut　out　at　the　roots；　and　cut
  out　quickly。　　This　is　the　first　fact　to　be　determined；　and　a　fool
  would　know　it。　　The　second　fact　is　that　you　must　do　it　yourself。
  Hired　killers　are　like　the　grave　and　the　daughters　of　the　horse
  leech；they　cry　always；　'Give；　Give。'　　They　are　only　palliatives；
  not　cures。　　By　using　them　you　swap　perils。　　You　simply　take　a　stay
  of　execution　at　best。　　The　common　criminal　would　know　this。　　These
  are　the　facts　of　your　problem。　　The　master　plotters　of　crime　would
  see　here　but　two　difficulties　to　meet：
  〃A　practical　method　for　accomplishing　the　body　of　the　crime。
  〃A　cover　for　the　criminal　agent。
  〃They　would　see　no　farther；　and　attempt　to　guard　no　farther。　　After
  they　had　provided　a　plan　for　the　killing；　and　a　means　by　which　the
  killer　could　cover　his　trail　and　escape　from　the　theater　of　the
  homicide；　they　would　believe　all　the　requirements　of　the　problems
  met；　and　would　stop。　　The　greatest；　the　very　giants　among　them；
  have　stopped　here　and　have　been　in　great　error。
  〃In　every　crime；　especially　in　the　great　ones；　there　exists　a　third
  element；　preeminently　vital。　　This　third　element　the　master
  plotters　have　either　overlooked　or　else　have　not　had　the　genius　to
  construct。　　They　plan　with　rare　cunning　to　baffle　the　victim。　　They
  plan　with　vast　wisdom；　almost　genius；　to　baffle　the　trailer。　　But
  they　fail　utterly　to　provide　any　plan　for　baffling　the　punisher。
  Ergo；　their　plots　are　fatally　defective　and　often　result　in　ruin。
  Hence　the　vital　necessity　for　providing　the　third　elementthe
  escape　ipso　jure。〃
  Mason　arose；　walked　around　the　table；　and　put　his　hand　firmly　on
  Samuel　Walcott's　shoulder。　　〃This　must　be　done　to…morrow　night；〃　he
  continued；　〃you　must　arrange　your　business　matters　to…morrow　and
  announce　that　you　are　going　on　a　yacht　cruise；　by　order　of　your
  physician；　and　may　not　return　for　some　weeks。　　You　must　prepare
  your　yacht　for　a　voyage；　instruct　your　men　to　touch　at　a　certain
  point　on　Staten　Island；　and　wait　until　six　o'clock　day　after
  tomorrow　morning。　　If　you　do　not　come　aboard　by　that　time；　they　are
  to　go　to　one　of　the　South　American　ports　and　remain　until　further
  orders。　　By　this　means　your　absence　for　an　indefinite　period　will
  be　explained。　　You　will　go　to　Nina　San　Croix　in　the　disguise　which
  you　have　always　used；　and　from　her　to　the　yacht；　and　by　this　means
  step　out　of　your　real　status　and　back　into　it　without　leaving
  traces。　　I　will　come　here　to…morrow　evening　and　furnish　you　with
  everything　that　you　shall　need　and　give　you　full　and　exact
  instructions　in　every　particular。　　These　details　you　must　execute
  with　the　greatest　care；　as　they　will　be　vitally　essential　to　the
  success　of　my　plan。〃
  Through　it　all　Walcott　had　been　silent　and　motionless。　　Now　he
  arose；　and　in　his　face　there　must　have　been　some　premonition　of
  protest；　for　Mason　stepped　back　and　put　out　his　hand。　　〃Sir；〃　he
  said；　with　brutal　emphasis；　〃not　a　word。　　Remember　that　you　are
  only　the　hand；　and　the　hand　does　not　think。〃　　Then　he　turned　around
  abruptly　and　went　out　of　the　house。
  III
  The　place　which　Samuel　Walcott　had　selected　for　the　residence　of
  Nina　San　Croix　was　far　up　in　the　northern　suburb　of　New　York。　　The
  place　was　very　old。　　The　lawn　was　large　and　ill　kept；　the　house；　a
  square　old…fashioned　brick；　was　set　far　back　from　the　street；　and
  partly　hidden　by　trees。　　Around　it　all　was　a　rusty　iron　fence。　　The
  place　had　the　air　of　genteel　ruin；　such　as　one　finds　in　the
  Virginias。
  On　a　Thursday　of　November；　about　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　a
  little　man；　driving　a　dray；　stopped　in　the　alley　at　the　rear　of　the
  house。　　As　he　opened　the　back　gate　an　old　negro　woman　came　down　the
  steps　from　the　kitchen　and　demanded　to　know　what　he　wanted。　　The
  drayman　asked　if　the　lady　of　the　house　was　in。　　The　old　negro
  answered　that　she　was　asleep　at　this　hour　and　could　not　be　seen。
  〃That　is　good；〃　said　the　little　man；　〃now　there　won't　be　any　row。
  I　brought　up　some　cases　of　wine　which　she　ordered　from　our　house
  last　week　and　which　the　Boss　told　me　to　deliver　at　once；　but　I
  forgot　it　until　to…day。　　Just　let　me　put　it　in　the　cellar　now；
  Auntie；　and　don't　say　a　word　to　the　lady　about　it　and　she　won't
  ever　know　that　it　was　not　brought　up　on　time。〃
  The　drayman　stopped；　fished　a　silver　dollar　out　of　his　pocket；　and
  gave　it　to　the　old　negro。　　〃There　now；　Auntie；〃　he　said；　〃my　job
  depends　upon　the　lady　not　knowing　about　this　wine；　keep　it　mum。〃
  〃Dat's　all　right；　honey；〃　said　the　old　servant；　beaming　like　a　May
  morning。　　〃De　cellar　door　is　open；　carry　it　all　in　and　put　it　in　de
  back　part　and　nobody　ain't　never　going　to　know　how　long　it　has　been
  in　dar。〃