— atoned for his conduct to my poor mother. He died with my kiss on his lips.”

And now the tears came into my eyes.

“Ah!” she exclaimed, and the pathos of her ringing tones was intolerable to me. “You may well weep for me.” Then with abrupt change she laughed. “Don’t you agree that I am cursed? Am I not cursed? Say it! say it!”

“I will not say it,” I answered. “Why should you be cursed? What do you mean?”

“I do not know what I mean, but I know what I feel. Look back at my life. My mother died, deserted. My father has died, killed by a mad woman. My dear friend Alresca died — who knows how? Clarenceux — he too died.”