Wasittoescapeanylackofconcentrationwhichthesesamememoriesmightbring，thatheroseandsteppedtothewindow?Orwasitunderoneofthoseinvoluntaryimpulseswhichmoveusinspiteofourselvestodotheverythingourjudgmentdisapproves?
　　NosoonerhadheapproachedthesillthanMr。Brotherson’sshadeflewwayupandhe，too，lookedout。Theirglancesmet，andforaninstantthehardydetectiveexperiencedthatinvoluntarystagnationofthebloodwhichfollowsaninnershock。Hefeltthathehadbeenrecognised。Themoonlightlayfulluponhisface，andtheotherhadseenandknownhim。Else，whytheconstrainedattitudeandsuddenrigidityobservableinthisconfrontingfigure，withitspartiallyliftedhand?AmanlikeBrothersonmakesnopauseinanyactionhowevertrivial，withoutareason。Eitherhehadbeentransfixedbythisglimpseofhisenemyonwatch，ordaringthought！
　　hadseenenoughofsepulchralsuggestioninthewanfacelookingforthfromthisfatalwindowtoshakehimfromhiscomposureandletloosethegrinningdevilofremorsefromitsironprison-house?
　　Ifso，themovementwasamemorableone，andthehazardquiteworthwhile。Hehadgained-no！hehadgainednothing。Hehadbeenthefoolofhisownwishes。Noone，letaloneBrotherson，couldhavemistakenhisfaceforthatofawoman。Hehadforgottenhisnewly-grownbeard。Someothercausemustbefoundfortheother’sattitude。Itsavouredofshock，ifnotfear。Ifitwerefear，thenhadherousedanemotionwhichmightrebounduponhimselfinsharpreprisal。Deathhadbeenknowntostrikepeoplestandingwherehestood；mysteriousdeathofaspeciesquiteunrecognisable。
　　Whatwarrantyhadhethatitwouldnotstrikehim，andnow?None。
　　YetitwasBrothersonwhomovedfirst。Withashrugoftheshoulderplainlyvisibletothemanopposite，heturnedawayfromthewindowandwithoutloweringtheshadebegangatheringuphispapersforthenight，andlaterbankinguphisstovewithashes。
　　Sweetwater，withabreathofdecidedrelief，steppedbackandthrewhimselfonthebed。Ithadreallybeenatrialforhimtostandthereundertheother’seye，thoughhismindrefusedtoformulatehisfear，ortogivehimanysatisfactionwhenheaskedhimselfwhattherewasinthesituationsuggestiveofdeathtothewomanorharmtohimself。
　　Nordidmorninglightbringcounsel，asisusualinsimilarcases。
　　Hefeltthemysterymoreinthehubbubandrestlessturmoilofthedaythaninthenight’ssilenceandinactivity。Hewasgladwhenthestrokeofsixgavehimanexcusetoleavetheroom，andgladderyetwhenindoingso，heranuponanoldwomanfromaneighbouringroom，whonosoonersawhimthansheleeredathimandeagerlyremarked：”Notmuchsleep，eh?Wedidn’tthinkyou’dlikeit。Didyouseeanything?”
　　Nowthisgavehimtheoneexcusehewanted。”Seeanything?”herepeated，apparentlywithallimaginableinnocence。”Whatdoyoumeanbythat?””Don’tyouknowwhathappenedinthatroom?””Don’ttellme！”heshoutedout。”Idon’twanttohearanynonsense。Ihaven’ttime。I’vegottobeattheshopatsevenandIdon’tfeelverywell。Whatdidhappen?”hemumbledindrawingoff，justloudenoughforthewomantohear。”SomethingunpleasantI’msure。”Thenherandownstairs。
　　Athalfpastsixhefoundthejanitor。Hewas，toallappearance，inastateofgreatexcitementandhespokeveryfast。”Iwon’tstayanothernightinthatroom，”heloudlydeclared，breakinginwherethefamilywereeatingbreakfastbylamplight。”I
　　don’twanttomakeanytroubleandIdon’twanttogivemyreasons；
　　butthatroomdon’tsuitme。I’drathertakethedarkoneyoutalkedaboutyesterday。There’sthemoney。Havemythingsmovedto-day，willye?””Butyourmovingoutafteronenight’sstaywillgivethatroomabadname，”stammeredthejanitor，risingawkwardly。”There’llbetalkandIwon’tbeabletoletthatroomallwinter。””Nonsense！Everymanhasn’tthenervesIhave。You’llletitinaweek。Butletornotlet，I’mgoingfrontintothelittledarkroom。I’llgetthebosstoletmeoffathalfpastfour。Sothat’ssettled。”
　　Hewaitedfornoreplyandgotnone；butwhenheappearedpromptlyataquartertofive，hefoundhisfewbelongingsmovedintoamiddleroomonthefourthfloorofthefrontbuilding，which，oddlyperhaps，chancedtobenextdoortotheonehehadheldunderwatchthenightbefore。
　　ThefirstpageofhisadventureintheHicksStreettenementhadbeenturned，andhewasreadytostartuponanother。
　　INWHICHABOOKPLAYSALEADINGPART
　　WhenMr。Brothersoncameinthatnight，henoticedthatthedooroftheroomadjoininghisownstoodopen。Hedidnothesitate。
　　Makingimmediatelyforit，hetookaglanceinside，thenspokeupwitharingingintonation：”Halloo！comingtoliveinthishole?”
　　Theoccupantayoungman，evidentlyaworkmanandsomewhatsicklyifonecouldjudgefromhiscomplexion-turnedaroundfromsometinkeringhewasengagedinandmettheintruderfairly，facetoface。Ifhisjawfell，itseemedtobefromadmiration。Nootheremotionwouldhavesolightedhiseyeashetookintheothersproportionsandcommandingfeatures。Nodress-Brothersonwasneverseeninanyotherthanthehomeliestgarbinthesedays-couldmakehimlookcommonorakintohissurroundings。Whetherseennearorfar，hispresencealwayscausedsurprise，andsurprisewaswhattheyoungmanshowed，asheansweredbriskly：”Yes，thisistobemycastle。Areyoutheownerofthebuildings?
　　Ifso-””Iamnottheowner。Ilivenextdoor。Haven’tIseenyoubefore，youngman?”
　　NeverwasthereamorepenetratingeyethanOrlandoBrotherson’s。
　　Asheaskedthisquestionittooksomeeffortonthepartoftheothertoholdhisownandlaughwithperfectnaturalnessashereplied：”IfyouevergoupHenryStreetit’slikelyenoughthatyou’veseenmenotonce，butmanytimes。I’mthefellowwhoworksatthebenchnextthewindowinSchuper’srepairingshop。Everybodyknowsme。”
　　Audacityoftencarriesthedaywhensubtlermeanswouldfail。
　　Brothersonstaredattheyouth，thenventuredanotherquestion：”Acarpenter，eh?””Yes，andI’manA1manatmyjob。Excusemybrag。It’smyonecardofintroduction。””I’veseenyou。I’veseenyousomewhereelsethaninSchuper’sshop。
　　Doyourememberme?””No，sir；I’msorrytobeimperlitebutIdon’trememberyouatall。
　　Won’tyousitdown?It’snotverycheerful，butI’msogladtogetoutoftheroomIwasinlastnightthatthislooksallrighttome。Backthere，otherbuilding，”hewhispered。”Ididn’tknow，andtooktheroomwhichhadawindowinit；but-”Thestopwassignificant；sowashissmilewhichhadatouchofsicklinessinit，aswellashumour。
　　ButBrothersonwasnottobecaught。”Yousleptinthebuildinglastnight?Intheotherhalf，Imean?””Yes，I-slept。”
　　Thestronglipoftheothermancurleddisdainfully。”Isawyou，”saidhe。”Youwerestandinginthewindowoverlookingthecourt。Youwerenotsleepingthen。Isupposeyouknowthatawomandiedinthatroom?””Yes；theytoldmesothismorning。””Wasthatthefirstyou’dheardofit?””Sure！”Thewordalmostjumpedatthequestioner。”DoyousupposeI’dhavetakentheroomif-”
　　Butheretheintruder，withadisdainfulgrunt，turnedandwentout，disgustineveryfeature，-plain，unmistakable，downrightdisgust，andnothingmore！
　　ThiswaswhatgaveSweetwaterhissecondbadnight；thisandacertaindiscoveryhemade。Hehadcountedonhearingwhatwentonintheneighbouringroomthroughthepartitionrunningbackofhisowncloset。Buthecouldhearnothing，unlessitwastheshuttingdownofawindow，aloudsneeze，ortherattlingofcoalsastheywereputonthefire。Andthesepossessednosignificance。
　　Whathewantedwastocatchthesecretsigh，themutteredword，theinvoluntarymovement。Hewastoofarremovedfromthismanstill。
　　Howshouldhemanagetogetnearerhim-atthedoorofhismind-ofhisheart?Sweetwaterstaredallnightfromhismiserablecotintothedarknessofthatseparatingcloset，andwithnoresult。Histasklookedhopeless；nowonderthathecouldgetnorest。
　　Nextmorninghefeltill，butheroseallthesame，andtriedtogethisownbreakfast。Hehadbutpartiallysucceededandwassittingontheedgeofhisbedinwretcheddiscomfort，whentheverymanhewasthinkingofappearedathisdoor。”I’vecometoseehowyouare，”saidBrotherson。”Inoticedthatyoudidnotlookwelllastnight。Won’tyoucomeinandsharemypotofcoffee?”