FANNY DESCRIBES HOW SHE MADE UP HER MIND WHAT TO DO WITH LEMON.
"Devlin put down the newspaper, and waited for me to speak. I think, sir, I've told you egsactly what he said, and as fur as possible in his own words. They are so printed on my mind that I couldn't forgit 'em if I tried ever so hard. As he described what had took place it was as if he was painting pictures, and he made me see 'em. I saw the poor girl's home; I saw her setting with her father and mother in jest sech a little room as this--for they are only humble people, sir; I saw her kiss 'em good-night; I saw her in her bedroom a-doing herself up before the looking-glass; I saw her put the bunch of white daisies in her belt; I saw her steal out of the house to the park; I saw the man and her walking about among the trees, and sometimes setting down to talk; I heard a scream--another!--another!--and I covered my eyes with my hands to shut it all out. I was so overcome that I hadn't strength to wrench myself away from Devlin, who was smoothing my hair with his hands. But presently I managed to scream:
"'Don't touch me! Don't touch me, you--you----'
"'You what?' asked Devlin in his false voice, moving a little away from my chair.
"My scream, and him speaking agin, brought me to myself.
"'Never mind, never mind,' I said. 'If you know what I'm thinking about, it's no use my telling you.'
"'I do know,' he said. 'Why, it's wrote on your face. And I know, too, that you want to ask me some questions. Fire away.'
"'Mr. Devlin, I said, upon that, 'you slep at home last night, didn't you?'
"'Certainly, I did,' he answered. 'Don't you remember Lemon and me coming in together?'
"'Don't you remember,' he said, 'that you brought me up a cup of tea before you went to bed, and that I told you I had a lot of writing to do, and that I said what a treasure you was, and how happy Lemon ought to be with sech a wife?'
"'Yes,' I said, 'I remember.' I couldn't say nothing else, it was the truth.
"'Inspired by the egsellent tea you make,' he went on, 'I stopped up late and did my writing. If I mistake not, you put the chain on the street-door before you went to bed.'
"'And when you went down this morning the chain was still up?'
"'And I presume you made my bed some time during the day?'