Hehadthelookofamanofpowerfulintellectanddeterminedwill，whoshudderswhilehetriumphs；whooutwardlywasheshishandsofadeedoverwhichheinwardlygloats。Thiswaswhenhefirstrosefromthesnow。Afterwardshehadamomentoffear；plain，human，everydayfear。Butthiswasevanescent。Beforehehadturnedtogo，heshowedtheself-possessionofonewhofeelshimselfsosecure，orissowell-satisfiedwithhimself，thatheisnolongerconsciousofotheremotions。”Poorfellow，”Icommentedaloud，asIfoldedupthesewords；”hereckonedwithoutyou，George。Byto-morrowhewillbeinthehandsofthepolice。””Poorfellow?”herepeated。”Bettersay’PoorMissChalloner！’
Theytellmeshewasoneofthoseperfectwomenwhoreconcileeventhepessimisttohumanityandtheagewelivein。Whyanyoneshouldwanttokillherisamystery；butwhythismanshould-There！nooneprofessestoexplainit。Theysimplygobythefacts。To-morrowsurelymustbringstrangerevelations。”
Andwiththissentenceringinginmymind，Ilaydownandendeavouredtosleep。Butitwasnottillverylatethatrestcame。Thenoiseofpassingfeet，thoughmuffledbeyondtheirwont，rousedmeinspiteofmyself。Thesefootstepsmightbethoseofsomelatearrival，ortheymightbethoseofsomewarydetectiveintentonbusinessfarremovedfromtheusualroutineoflifeinthisgreathotel。
IrecalledtheglimpseIhadhadofthewriting-roomintheearlyevening，andimagineditasitwaswithMissChalloner’sbodyremovedandtheincongruousflittingofstrangeandbusyfiguresacrossitsfatalfloors，measuringdistancesandpeeringintocorners，whilehundredssleptaboveandabouttheminundisturbedrepose。
ThenIthoughtofhim，thesuspectedandpossiblyguiltyone。InvisionsoverwhichIhadlittleifanycontrol，Isawhiminalltherestlessnessofaslowlydyingdownexcitement-thesurroundingsstrangeandunknowntome，thefigurenot-seekingforquiet；facingthepast；facingthefuture；knowing，perhaps，forthefirsttimeinhislifewhatitwasforcrimeandremorsetomurdersleep。Icouldnotthinkofhimaslyingstill-slumberingliketherestofmankind，inthehopeandexpectationofabusymorrow。Crimeperpetratedloomssolargeinthesoul，andthismanhadasoulasbigashisbody；ofthatIwasassured。Thatitsinstinctswerecruelandinherentlyevil，didnotlessenitscapacityforsuffering。Andhewassufferingnow；Icouldnotdoubtit，rememberingthelovelyfaceandfragrantmemoryofthenoblewomanhehad，undersomeunknownimpulse，senttoanunmeriteddoom。