TIME，CIRCUMSTANCE，ANDAVILLAIN’SHEART”Ourfirstdifficultyisthis。Wemustprovemotive。Now，IdonotthinkitwillbesoveryhardtoshowthatthisBrothersoncherishedfeelingsofrevengetowardsMissChalloner。ButIhavetoacknowledgerighthereandnowthatthemostskillfulandvigourouspumpingofthejanitorandsuchothertenantsoftheHicksStreettenementasIhavedaredtoapproach，failstoshowthathehaseverheldanycommunicationwithMrs。Spotts，orevenknewofherexistenceuntilherremarkabledeathattractedhisattention。I
havespentalltheafternoonoverthis，andwithnoresult。A
completebreakinthechainattheverystart。””Humph！wewillsetthatdown，then，assomuchagainstus。””Thenext，andthisisabitterpilltoo，isthealmostinsurmountabledifficultyalreadyrecognisedofdetermininghowaman，withoutapproachinghisvictim，couldmanagetoinflictamortalstabinherbreast。Nocloakofcompleteinvisibilityhasyetbeenfound，evenbythecleverestcriminals。””True。Theproblemissuchasanightmareoffers。Foryearsmydreamshavebeenhauntedbyagnomewhoproposesjustsuchpuzzles。””Butthere’sananswertoeverything，andI’msurethere’sananswertothis。Rememberhisbusiness。He’saninventor，withstartlingideas。SomuchI’veseenformyself。Youmaystretchprobabilitiesalittleinhiscase；andwiththisconceded，wemayaddbywayofoff-settothedifficultiesyoumention，coincidencesoftimeandcircumstance，andhisvillainousheart。Oh，IknowthatIamprejudiced；butwaitandsee！MissChallonerwaswellridofhimevenatthecostofherlife。””Shelovedhim。Evenherfatherbelievesthatnow。Somelatelydiscoveredlettershavecometolighttoprovethatshewasbynomeanssoheartfreeashesupposed。Oneofherfriends，itseems，hasalsoconfidedtohimthatonce，whilesheandMissChallonerweresittingtogether，shecaughtMissChallonerintheactofscribblingcapitalsoverasheetofpaper。TheywereallB’swiththeexceptionofhereandthereaneatlyturned0，andwhenherfriendtwittedherwithherfondnessforthesetwoletters，andsuggestedapleasingmonogram，MissChalloneranswered，’0。B。
transferringtheletters，asyouseearetheinitialsofthefinestmanintheworld。’””Gosh！hasheheardthisstory?””Who?””Thegentlemaninquestion。””Mr。Brotherson?”
Yes。””Idon’tthinkso。Itwastoldmeinconfidence。””Toldyou，Mr。Gryce?Pardonmycuriosity。””ByMr。Challoner。””Oh！byMr。Challoner。””Heisgreatlydistressedathavingthedisgracefulsuggestionofsuicideattachedtohisdaughter’sname。Notwithstandingthecircumstances，-not-withstandinghisfullrecognitionofhersecretpredilectionforamanofwhomhehadneverheardtillthenightofherdeath，hecannotbelievethatshestrucktheblowshedid，intentionally。Hesentformeinordertoinquireifanythingcouldbedonetoreinstateherinpublicopinion。Hedarednotinsistthatanotherhadwieldedtheweaponwhichlaidherlowsosuddenly，butheaskedif，inmyexperience，ithadneverbeenknownthatawoman，hyper-sensitivetosomestrongman’smagneticinfluence，shouldsofollowhisthoughtastocommitanactwhichnevercouldhaveariseninherownmind，uninfluenced。HeevidentlydoesnotlikeBrothersoneither。””Andwhat-whatdidyou-say?”askedSweetwater，withahaltingutteranceandhisfacefullofthought。”Isimplyquotedthelatestauthorityonhypnotismthatnopersoneveninhypnoticsleepcouldbeinfluencedbyanothertodowhatwasantagonistictohisnaturalinstincts。””Latestauthority。Thatdoesn’tmeanafinalone。Supposingthatitwashypnotism！Butthatwouldn’taccountforMrs。Spotts’death。