down　outside　I　awaited　her　approach；　intending　to　spring　up　and　stab
  her　while　she　was　pulling　the　window　down。　　Everything　happened　as
  I　planned　…　what　ails　the　Sahib？　　I　did　not　kill　her！　　No；　at　the
  last　moment　something　…　never　mind　what　…　stayed　my　arm！　　The　death
  of　an　innocent　girl　did　not　promise　me　any　lasting　satisfaction　and
  I　gave　up　the　idea；　returned　to　New　York；　and　re…embarked　for　Bombay
  as　innocent　in　act　as　when　I　left　it。　　My　life　had　been　a　failure
  and　I　had　no　desire　to　prolong　it。　　When　you　arrested　me　on　the
  charge　of　murder；　nothing　would　have　given　me　greater　pleasure　than
  to　have　been　able　to　plead　guilty。
  〃You　already　know　why　I　so　hated　Darrow。　　He　robbed　me　of　the　only
  woman　I　ever　loved。　　Maddened　by　jealousy；　I　told　her　I　had　thrown
  him　into　the　well　in　the　cave　here。　　It　was　a　lie；　but　she　believed
  it；　and　fled　from　me；　and　in　a　few　minutes　had　thrown　herself　into
  that　bottomless　hole。　　See；　Sahib；〃　he　said；　entering　the　cave　and
  pointing　down　the　dark　shaft；　…　〃that　is　the　road　she　took　in　order
  that　her　bones　might　rest　with　his；　and；　after　all；　they　are
  thousands　of　miles　apart。　　It's　not　the　triumph　I　planned；　but　it's
  all　I　have！　　And　this　is　why　I　brought　you　here；　that　you　may　take
  back　to　my　enemy's　family　the　knowledge　that　in　death　I　am　triumphant。
  Tell　them；〃　he　said；　rising　to　his　full　height；　〃that　while　the
  carcass　of　the　English　cur　rots　in　a　foreign　land；　Rama　Ragobah's
  bones　lie　mingled　with　those　of　his　beautiful　Lona！〃　…　My　blood
  was　up；　and　I　rushed　fiercely　at　him。　　　With　the　quickness　of　a　cat
  he　dodged　me；　spat　in　my　face　as　I　turned；　and；　with　a　horrible
  laugh；　sprang　headlong　into　the　well。　　Down　deeper　and　deeper　sank
  the　laugh　…　then　it　died　away　…　then　a　faint　plash　…　and　all　was
  silent。　　　Rama　Ragobah　was　gone！　　For　fully　ten　minutes　I　stood
  dazed　and　irresolute　and　then　returned　mechanically　to　the　house。
  I　at　first　thought　of　informing　the　authorities　of　the　whole
  affair；　but；　when　I　realised　how　hard　it　would　be　for　me　to　prove
  my　innocence　were　I　charged　with　Ragobah's　murder；　I　decided　to　keep
  the　secret　of　the　well。
  I　shudder　when　I　think　of　Miss　Darrow's　narrow　escape。　　Did　you
  suspect　who　her　assailant　really　was？　　I　wonder　you　have　written　me
  nothing　about　it；　but　suppose　you　thought　it　would　only　needlessly
  alarm　me。　　If　you　had　known　it　was　our　friend　Ragobah；　you　would
  doubtless　have　felt　it　imperative　that　I　should　know　of　it；　…　so　I
  conclude　from　your　silence　that　you　did　not　discover　his　identity。
  I　need　not；　of　course；　tell　you；　my　dear　Doctor；　that　we　have
  reached　the　end　of　our　Indian　clue；　and　that　I　deem　it　wise；　all
  things　considered；　for　me　to　get　out　of　India　just　as　soon　as
  possible。　　If　this　letter　is　in　any　way　delayed；　you　need　not　be
  surprised　if　I　have　the　pleasure　of　relating　its　contents　in　person。
  Remember　me　to　Miss　Darrow　and　tell　her　how　sorry　I　am　that；　thus
  far；　I　have　been　unable　to　be　of　any　real　service　to　her。　　As　I
  shall　see　you　so　soon　I　need　write　nothing　further。　　Kind　regards
  to　Miss　Alice。
  Ever　yours；
  GEORGE　MAITLAND。
  When　I　had　finished　reading　this　letter　I　looked　up　at　Gwen；
  expecting　to　see　that　its　news　had　depressed　her。　　I　must　confess；
  however；　that　I　could　not　detect　any　such　effect。　　On　the　contrary；
  she　seemed　to　be　in　much　better　spirits　than　when　I　began　reading。
  〃According　to　this　letter；　then；〃　she　said；　addressing　me　somewhat
  excitedly；　〃we　may　…　〃　but　she　let　fall　her　eyes　and　did　not　complete
  her　sentence。　　My　sister　bestowed　upon　her　one　of　those　glances
  described　in　the　vernacular　of　woman　as　〃knowing〃　and　then　said　to
  me：　〃We　may　expect　Mr。　Maitland　at　any　time；　it　seems。〃　〃Yes；〃　I
  replied；　〃he　will　lose　no　time　in　getting　here。　　He　undoubtedly　feels
  much　chagrined　at　his　failure　and　will　now　be　more　than　ever
  determined　to　see　the　affair　through　to　a　successful　conclusion。　　He
  is　in　the　position　of　a　hound　that　has　lost　its　scent；　and　is　eager
  to　return　to　its　point　of　departure　for　a　fresh　start。　　I　fancy　it
  will　be　no　easy　task　to　discover　a　new　clue；　and　I　shall　watch
  Maitland's　work　in　this　direction　with　a　great　deal　of　curiosity。〃
  Gwen　did　not　speak；　but　she　listened　to　our　conversation　with　a
  nearer　approach　to　a　healthy　interest　than　I　had　known　her　to　display
  on　any　other　occasion　since　her　father's　death。　　I　regarded　this　as
  a　good　omen。　　Her　condition；　since　that　sad　occurrence；　had　worried
  me　a　good　deal。　　She　seemed　to　have　lost　her　hold　on　life　and　to
  exist　in　a　state　of　wearied　listlessness。　　Nothing　seemed　to　impress
  her　and　she　would　at　times　forget；　in　the　midst　of　a　sentence；　what
  she　had　intended　to　say　when　she　began　it！　　Her　elasticity　was　gone
  and　every　effort　a　visible　burden　to　her。　　I　knew　the　consciousness
  of　her　loss　was　as　a　dull；　heavy　weight　bearing　her　down；　and　I　knew；
  too；　that　she　could　not　marshal　her　will　to　resist　it；　…　that；　in
  fact；　she　really　didn't　care；　so　tired　was　she　of　it　all。　　Experience
  had　taught　me　how　the　dull；　heavy　ache　of　a　great　loss　will　press
  upon　the　consciousness　with　the　regular；　persistent；　relentless
  throb　of　a　loaded　wheel　and　eat　out　one's　life　with　the　slow
  certainty　of　a　cancer。　　This　I　knew　to　have　been　Gwen's　state　since
  her　father's　death；　and　all　my　attempts　to　bring　about　a　healthful
  reaction　had　hitherto　been　futile。　　It　is　not　to　be　wondered　at；
  therefore；　that　even　the　transient　interest　she　had　evinced　was
  hailed　by　me　with　delight　as　the　beginning　of　that　healthful
  reaction　for　which　I　had　so　long　sought。　　When　a　human　bark　in　the
  full　tide　of　life　is　suddenly　dashed　upon　the　rocks　of　despair　the
  wreckage　is　strewn　far　and　wide；　and　it　is　with　no　little　difficulty
  that　enough　can　be　rescued　to　serve　in　the　rebuilding　of　even　the
  smallest　of　craft。　　The　thought；　therefore；　that　Gwen's　intellectual
  flotsam　was　beginning　at　length　to　swirl　about　a　definite　object　in
  a　way　to　facilitate　the　rescue　of　her　faculties　was　to　me　a
  decidedly　reassuring　one；　and　I　noted　with　pleasure　that　the　state
  of　excited　expectancy　which　she　had　tried　in　vain　to　conceal　did　not
  wane；　but　waxed　stronger　as　the　days　went　by。
  THE　EPISODE　OF　THE　PARALLEL　READERS
  CHAPTER　I
  The　events　of　the　present　are　all　strung　upon　the　thread　of　the
  past；　and　in　telling　over　this　chronological　rosary；　it　not
  infrequently　happens　that　strange；　unlike　beads　follow　each　other
  between　our　questioning　fingers。
  It　was　nearly　a　week　after　his　letter　before　Maitland　arrived。　　He
  sent　us　no　further　word；　but　walked　in　one　evening　as　we　were　talking
  about　him。　　　He　came　upon　us　so　suddenly　that　we　were　all　taken
  aback　and；　for　a　moment；　I　felt　somewhat　alarmed　about　Gwen。　　She
  had　started　up　quickly　when　the　servant　had　mentioned　Maitland's
  name　and　pressed　her　hand　convulsively　upon　her　heart；　while　her
  face　and　neck　became　of　a　deep　crimson　colour。　　I　was　saying　to
  myself　that　this　was　a　common　effect　of　sudden　surprise；　when　I　saw
  her　clutch　quickly　at　the　back　of　her　chair；　as　if　to　steady　herself。
  A　moment　later　she　sank　into　her　seat。　　Her　face　was　now　as　pale　as
  ashes；　and　I　felt　I　had　good　reason　to　be　alarmed。　　I　think　she　was
  conscious　of　my　scrutiny；　for　she　turned　her　face　from　me　and
  remained　motionless。　　The　movement　told　me　she　was　trying　to　regain
  command　of　her　faculties　and　I　forbore　to　interfere　in　the　struggle；
  though　I　watched　her　with　some　solicitude。=20　My　fears　were　at　once
  dispelled；　however；　when　Maitland　entered；　for　Gwen　was　the　first
  to　welcome　him。　　　She　extended　her　hand　with　much　of　her　old
  impulsiveness；　saying：　〃I　have　so　much　for　which　to　thank　you　…　〃
  but　Maitland　interrupted　her。　　〃Indeed；　I　regret　to　say；〃　he
  rejoined；　〃that　I　have　been　unable　thus　far　to　be　of　any　real　service
  to　you。　　The　Ragobah　clue　was　a　miserable　failure；　though　we　may　do
  ourselves　the　justice　to　admit　that　we　had　no　alternative　but　to
  follow　it　to　the　end。　　I　confess　I　have　never　been　more　disappointed
  than　in　the　outcome　of　this　affair。？〃　　〃My　dear　fellow；〃　I　said；
  〃we　all　have　much　to　be　thankful　for　in　your　safe　return；　let　us
  not　forget　that。〃　　Maitland　laughed：　〃That　reminds　me；〃　he　said；
  〃of　the　man　who　passed　the　hat　at　a　coloured　camp…meeting。　　When
  asked　how　much　he　had　collected；　he　replied：　'I　didn't　get　no　money；
  but　I'se　done　got　de　hat　back。'　　You've　got　your　hat　back；　and　that's
  about　all。　　However；　with　Miss　Darrow's　permission；　I　shall　go　back
  to　the　starting　point　and　begin　all　over　again。〃
  〃You　are　making　me　your　debtor；〃　Gwen　replied　slowly；　〃beyond　my
  power　ever　to　repay　you。〃
  〃It　is　in　the　hope　that　no　payment　may　ever　be　demanded　of　you；〃
  he　rejoined；　〃that　I　am　busying　myself　in　your　affairs。〃　　The　colour
  sprang　to　Gwen's　cheeks；　but　she　only　replied　by　a　grateful　glance。
  I　knew　what　was　passing　through　her　mind。　　She　was　thinking　of　her
  promise　…　of　her　father's　last　words；　and　of　the　terrible
  possibilities　thereof　from　which　Maitland　was　seeking　to　rescue　her。
  She　felt　that　she　could　safely　owe　him　any　debt　of　gratitude；　however
  great；　while　he；　on