Whatis，dramatically，disastrousintheinstanceofMertounsinging“There’sawomanlikeadew-drop“，whenheoughttobeseekingMildred’spresenceinprofoundstealthandsilence，is，dramatically，electricallystartlinginthemouthofSebald，amongthegeraniumsoftheshutteredshrub-house，wherehehaspassedthenightwithOttima，whilehermurderedhusbandliesstarkintheadjoiningroom。
Itmust，however，beborneinmindthatthisthrillingdramaticeffectisfullyexperiencedonlyinretrospection，orwhenthereisknowledgeofwhatistofollow。
Aconclusiveobjectiontothedramaasanactableplayisthatthreeofthefourmainepisodesarefragmentary。WeknownothingofthefateofLuigi：wecanbutsurmisethefutureofJulesandPhene：
weknownothoworwhenMonsignorwillseePipparighted。
OttimaandSebaldreachahigherlevelinvoluntarydeaththantheyevercouldhavedoneinlife。