Access Online - The European Library

196 BLACK SHEEP.for this woman, whose strength had lasted so long,endured so much, and given yvay so suddenly.But time was marching on. Tlie inevitableend drawing near, and Harriet had been utterlyunpreparedfor the second shock, the second unexpectedevent yvhich had befallen. She hadopened George Dallas's letter yvith the Paris postmarkalmost without an apprehension. Tlie timefor the thing she feared had not yet come; andhere was a thing she had never feared, a possibilityyvhich had never presented itself to herimagination, brought at once fully before her.She had done this thing. One moment's yvant ofcaution, in the midst of a scene in yvhich hernerves had been strung to their highest tension,and this had been the result. Hacl no other clueexisted, these few lines of writing would furnishone leading unerringly to discovery-.Supposingno other clue to exist, and Routh to pretend toinability to identify the writing, there yvere severalcommon acquaintances of Dallas and Deane whocould identify- it, and render a refusal the mostdangeroua step which Routh could take.She sat for several minutes perfectly still,her