Chapter XXVIII

           SotheSecondActended.

           TurningtotheThirdAct,Henrylookedwearilyatthepagesasheletthemslipthroughhisfingers.Bothinmindandbody,hebegantofeeltheneedofrepose.

           Inoneimportantrespect,thelaterportionofthemanuscriptdifferedfromthepageswhichhehadjustbeenreading.Signsofanoverwroughtbrainshowedthemselves,hereandthere,astheoutlineoftheplayapproacheditsend.Thehandwritinggrewworseandworse.Someofthelongersentenceswereleftunfinished.Intheexchangeofdialogue,questionsandanswerswerenotalwaysattributedrespectivelytotherightspeaker.Atcertainintervalsthewriter’sfailingintelligenceseemedtorecoveritselfforawhile;onlytorelapseagain,andtolosethethreadofthenarrativemorehopelesslythanever.

           AfterreadingoneortwoofthemorecoherentpassagesHenryrecoiledfromtheever-darkeninghorrorofthestory.Heclosedthemanuscript,heartsickandexhausted,andthrewhimselfonhisbedtorest.Thedooropenedalmostatthesamemoment.LordMontbarryenteredtheroom.

           ’WehavejustreturnedfromtheOpera,’hesaid;’andwehaveheardthenewsofthatmiserablewoman’sdeath.Theysayyouspoketoherinherlastmoments;andIwanttohearhowithappened.’

           ’Youshallhearhowithappened,’Henryanswered;’andmorethanthat.Youarenowtheheadofthefamily,Stephen;andIfeelbound,inthepositionwhichoppressesme,toleaveyoutodecidewhatoughttobedone.’

           Withthoseintroductorywords,hetoldhisbrotherhowtheCountess’splayhadcomeintohishands.