Never!Hewouldgobacktothebooks。Hewasnotattheendofthem。Theslightesthintinthepageswhichwerestilltobereadmightsethissluggishbrainworkingintherightdirection。Thewaytoberidofher，withoutexcitingthesuspicionofanylivingcreature，inthehouseoroutofit，wasawaythatmightbefoundyet。
Couldaman，inhispositionoflife，reasoninthisbrutalmanner？couldheactinthismercilessway？Surelythethoughtofwhathewasabouttodomusthavetroubledhimthistime!
Pauseforamoment——andlookbackathiminthepast。
DidhefeelanyremorsewhenhewasplottingthebetrayalofArnoldinthegardenatWindygates？Thesensewhichfeelsremorsehadnotbeenputintohim。Whatheisnowisthelegitimateconsequenceofwhathewasthen。Afarmoreserioustemptationisnowurginghimtocommitafarmoreseriouscrime。Howishetoresist？WillhisskillinrowingasSirPatrickonceputit，hisswiftnessinrunning，hisadmirablecapacityandenduranceinotherphysicalexercises，helphimtowinapurelymoralvictoryoverhisownselfishnessandhisowncruelty？No!Themoralandmentalneglectofhimself，whichthematerialtoneofpublicfeelingabouthimhastacitlyencouraged，haslefthimatthemercyoftheworstinstinctsinhisnature——ofallthatismostvileandofallthatismostdangerousinthecompositionofthenaturalman。Withthemassofhisfellows，noharmoutofthecommonhascomeofthis，becausenotemptationoutofthecommonhaspassedtheirway。Butwith_him，_thecaseisreversed。A
temptationoutofthecommonhaspassed_his_way。Howdoesitfindhimpreparedtomeetit？Itfindshim，literallyandexactly，whathistraininghaslefthim，inthepresenceofanytemptationsmallorgreat——adefenselessman。