married　life；　and；　more　especially；　the　message　she　confided　to　you。
  A。　In　doing　this　I　shall　break　the　letter　of　my　oath；　but；　were　I　not
  to　do　it；　I　should　break　the　spirit　thereof；　therefore　listen：
  You　have；　I　suppose；　already　learned　from　the　statement　of　Darrow
  Sahib　what　occurred　at　his　last　meeting　with　my　cousin　on　Malabar
  Hill。　　Her　act；　in　throwing　a　venomous　serpent　in　his　face；　was　one
  which　doubtless　led　him　to　believe　she　wished　to　kill　him；　although
  it　must　have　puzzled　him　to　assign　any　reason　for　such　a　desire。
  Not　long　after　this　incident　my　cousin　married　Ragobah；　a　man　for
  whom　she　had　always　cherished　an　ill…concealed　hatred。　　I　saw　but
  little　of　her　at　this　time；　yet；　for　all　that；　I　could　not　but
  observe　that　she　was　greatly　changed。　　But　one　solution　suggested
  itself　to　me；　and　that　was　that　she　had　discovered　her　lover　false
  to　her　and　had；　out　of　spite　as　it　is　called；　hastily　married
  Ragobah。　　I　confess　that　when　this　conclusion　forced　itself　home
  upon　me；　I　felt　much　dissatisfied　with　Lona；　for　I　thought　such　a
  course　unworthy　of　her。　　As　I　saw　more　of　her　I　noted　still　greater
  changes　in　her　character。　　As　I　had　known　her　from　childhood；　she
  had　been　most　uniform　in　her　temper　and　her　conduct；　now　all　this
  was　changed。　　To…day；　perhaps；　she　would　be　like　her　old　self；　…=20
  only　weaker　and　more　fragile；　…　to…morrow　a　new　being　entirely；
  stronger　and　more　restless；　with　a　demoniac　light　in　her　eyes；　and
  a　sort　of　feverish　malignancy　dominating　her　whole　personality。
  When　I　noticed　this　I　studied　to　avoid　her。　　If　the　Lona　I　had
  known　were　merely　an　ideal　of　which　no　actual　prototype　existed；　I
  wished　to　be　allowed　to　cherish　that　ideal　rather　than　to　have　it
  cruelly　shattered　to　make　room　for　the　real　Lona。　　I　had　not　seen
  her　for　many　weeks　when　one　day；　to　my　surprise；　I　received　a　note
  from　her。　　It　was　short；　and　so　impressed　me　that　I　can　remember
  every　word　of　it。
  〃My　DEAR　COUSIN：
  〃I　send　this　note　to　you　by　Kandia　that　you　may　get　it　before　it　is
  too　late　for　you　to　do　what　I　wish。　　I　am　a　caged　bird　in　my
  husband's　house。　　My　every　movement　is　watched；　and　they　would　not
  let　you　come　to　me　were　my　husband　at　home；　so；　I　beseech　you；　come
  at　once　lest　he　should　return　before　I　have　had　time　to　intrust　to
  you　my　last　request。　　I　am　dying；　Moro；　and　it　is　within　your　power
  to　say　whether　my　spirit　shall　rest　in　peace；　or　be　torn　forever　and
  ever　by　the　fangs　of　a　horrible　regret。　　My　secret　is　as　lead　upon
  my　soul　and　to　you　only　can　I　tell　it。　　Come　…　come　at　once！
  〃LONA。〃
  You　can　imagine　the　effect　of　this　revelation　upon　me　better　than
  I　can　describe　it。　　I　did　not　even　know　she　was　seriously　ill；　and
  with　her　urgent　request　for　an　interview　came　the　sad　tidings　that
  she　was　dying；　and　the　confirmation　of　my　fear　…　that　she　had　adopted
  the　religion　of　her　English　lover。　　I　lost　no　time　in　going　to　her。
  I　found　her　in　a　state　of　feverish　expectation；　fearful　lest　I　should
  either　not　be　able　to　come　at　all；　or　her　husband　would　return　before
  my　arrival。　　She　was　worn　to　a　shadow　of　her　former　self；　and　I
  realised　with　a　pang　that　she　was　indeed　dying。
  〃I　knew　I　could　depend　upon　you；　Moro；〃　she　said　as　I　entered；　〃even
  though　you　think　I　have　lost　all　claim　upon　your　regard。　　I　said　to
  myself；　'He　will　come　because　of　the　respect　he　once　had　for　me；'
  and　I　was　right。　　Yes；〃　she　continued；　noticing　my　astonishment　at
  the　change　in　her　condition；　〃I　am　almost　gone。　　I　should　not　have
  lasted　so　long；　were　it　not　that　I　could　not　die　till　I　had　spoken。
  Now　I　shall　be　free　to　go；　and　the　horrible　struggle　will　be　over。
  You　have　been　much　among　the　English；　Moro；　both　here　and　in　England；
  and　know　they　believe　they　will　meet　again　in　heaven　those　they　have
  loved　on　earth。〃
  She　sank　back　exhausted　from　excitement　and　effort；　as　she　said　this；
  and　I　feared　for　a　moment　she　would　be　unable　to　proceed。　　I　told
  her　what　I　knew　about　the　Christian's　hope　of　heaven；　and　suggested
  to　her　that；　as　her　husband　might　return　at　any　moment；　she　had　best
  confide　to　me　at　once　any　trust　with　which　she　wished　to　charge　me。
  For　a　moment　she　made　no　reply；　but　said　at　length：
  〃Yes；　you　are　right。　　It　is　not　a　very　long　story；　and　I　suppose　I
  had　better　begin　at　the　beginning。　　You　remember　well　my　being　rescued
  by　an　English　gentleman；　a　Mr。　John　Darrow。　　I　afterward　became　well
  acquainted；　…　in　fact　we　were　to　be　married。　　To　this　union　my　parents
  strongly　objected。　　They　had　promised　me　to　Rama　Ragobah；　and　were
  horrified　at　my　seeking　to　outrage　the　laws　of　caste　by　bestowing　my
  hand　not　only　outside　of　my　station　but　upon　a　foreigner　and　Christian
  as　well。　　This　had　only　the　effect　of　causing　me　to　meet　the　Sahib
  secretly。　　We　chose　for　our　meeting…place　the　great　banyan　on　the　top
  of　Malabar　Hill；　where　I　passed　the　happiest　moments　I　have　ever　known。
  Everything　went　well　until　the　night　on　which　we　had　planned　to　run
  away。　　We　were　to　meet　at　the　usual　place　and　hour；　take　the　night
  train　for　Matheron　Station；　and　there　be　married。
  〃My　heart　bounded　with　joy　as　I　climbed　Malabar　Hill　on　that　fatal
  evening；　but　my　delight　was　of　short　duration。　　In　my　fear　lest　I
  should　keep　my　lover　waiting　I　must　have　arrived　fully　fifteen
  minutes　before　the　appointed　time。　　I　was　standing　with　my　back
  against　the　banyan　tree；　awaiting　the　first　sound　of　his　approach；
  when　my　attention　was　attracted　by　what　seemed　to　be　two　little
  balls　of　fire　shining　from　a　clump　of　bushes　almost　directly　in
  front　of　me。　　They　seemed　to　burn　with　a　lurid　and　wicked　glare；　and；
  as　my　gaze　became　entangled　by　them；　a　tremor　ran　through　my　frame
  and　a　cold　sweat　bathed　my　entire　body。　　Overcome　by　an　unspeakable
  dread　I　made　one　last　frantic　effort　to　withdraw　my　eyes；　but　could
  not。　　Then　gradually；　by　slow　degrees；　my　terror　was　succeeded　by　an
  over…whelming　fascination。　　I　felt　myself　drawn　irresistibly　toward
  the　thicket。　　Then　came　a　vague　sense　of　falling；　falling；　falling；
  and　I　knew　no　more；　at　least　for　some　little　time。
  〃The　next　thing　I　remember　is　seeing　my　lover　stretch　out　his　arms
  to　me；　while　I　was　inspired　with　an　unaccountable　hatred　of　him　so
  bitter　that　it　left　me　mute　and　transfixed。　　Then　he　sought　to
  embrace　me；　and　I　threw　a　young　cobra；　which；　coiled　in　a　wicker
  basket；　had　been　placed　in　my　hand；　full　in　his　face。　　I　think；　also；
  that　I　struck　him；　and　then　ran　down　the　hill　and　straight　to　the
  house　of　Ragobah。　　What　happened　during　the　next　few　months　I　know
  not。　　I　seemed　to　have　been　in　a　continual　sleep　full　of　dreams。
  When　I　awoke　I　seemed　conscious　that　I　had　dreamt；　but　could　not
  tell　of　what。　　You　can　imagine　my　horror；　my　despair；　when　I　was
  first　addressed　as　Ragobah's　wife。　　I　denied　the　relation；　but
  everyone　told　me　the　same　story　…　I　was　Ragobah　Sahibah。　　This　shock；
  coming　as　it　did　with　the　memory　of　my　conduct　that　terrible　night
  on　Malabar　Hill；　nearly　killed　me；　and　was　followed　by　another　long
  period　of　the　dream　existence。　　I　began　to　think　I　was　a　sufferer
  from　some　terrible　brain　disease；　and　to　doubt　which　was　my　real
  existence；　the　dreams　or　the　waking　moments。
  〃One　day　when；　for　the　first　time　in　several　weeks；　I　was　in
  possession　of　my　normal　faculties；　Ragobah　came　into　my　room　and
  sat　down　beside　me。　　I　arose　instantly　and　fled　to　the　farther
  corner　of　the　apartment。　　He　pursued　me　and　sought　to　conquer　my　all
  too　apparent　aversion　for　him　by　terms　of　endearment；　but　the　more
  he　pressed　his　suit　the　more　my　loathing　grew　until；　maddened　by
  references　made　to　Darrow　Sahib；　I　lost　all　self…control　and
  permitted　him　to　learn　my　detestation　of　him。　　　He　heard　me　through
  in　silence；　his　face　growing　darker　with　every　word；　and　when　I　had
  finished　said　with　slow　and　studied　malice：
  〃'You　forget　that　you　are　my　wife　and　that　I　can　follow　my　entreaty
  by　command。　　You　spurn　my　love。　　You　are　not　yet　weaned　from　that
  English　cur　whose　life；　let　me　tell　you；　is　in　my　hands。　　Fool；　can
  you　not　see　how　powerless　you　are？　　I　have　but　to　will　you　to　kill
  him　and　your　first　cursed　failure　on　Malabar　Hill　will　be　washed　out
  with　his　infidel　blood。　　You　will　do　well　to　yield　peaceably。　　The
  thread　of　your　very　existence　passes　through　my　hands；　to　cut　or
  tangle　it　as　I　list　…　yield　you　must！'　　With　this　he　strode
  frantically　from　the　room；　leaving　me　more　dead　than　alive。　　As
  he　disclosed　his　fiendish　secret　something　about　my　heart　kept
  tightening　with　every　word　till；　at　length；　it　seemed　as　if　it　must
  burst；　so　terrible　was　the　pressure。　　I　could　not　breathe。　　My　lungs
  seemed　filled　with　molten　lead。　　How　long　this　agony　continued　I　do
  not　know；　for　the　thread　of　consciousness　broke　under　its　terrible
  tension　and　I　fell　senseless　upon　the　floor。
  〃When　I　recovered　from　my　swoon　the　inexpressible　horror　of　my
  situation　again　descended　upon　my　spirit　like　a　snuffer　upon　a
  candle。　　I　was　Ragobah's　wife；　his　slave；　his　tool；　as　powerless　to
  resist　his　will　as　if　I　were　one　of　his　limbs。　　All　was　now　clear。
  The　long　sleep；　crowded　with　unremembered　dreams；　represented　the
  period　when　I　was　under　Ra