e fine spring day to an inquest. The examining magistrate, a

tance, of several strange, mysterious deaths, the cause of which only spiritualists and mystics will undertake to explain; a clear-headed man can only lift up his hands in perplexity. For example,

e a cause for it. But as for predicting it there's nothing very marvellous in that. Al

th a faint, typically Russian look of mockery in her eyes and on her lips. There was nothing of the fine lady or of the female about her, except - if you like - her beauty! She was graceful, elegant as that birch tree; she had wonderful hair. That she may be intelligible to you, I will add, too, that she was

gistrate and the doctor drank some water, stretched, an

asked the doctor when the chaise

old coach before the spring and to buy something rather newer and lighter instead, and that it might be as well to

istened to

no difference to me now. Before the

urse, shrugged his

id. 'I tell you in earnest

you mean

onfinement. I shall b

oomy ideas generally. A day later his wife spoke to him again of dying immediately after her confinement, and then every day she spoke of it and he laughed and called her a silly woman, a fortune-tel

'As soon as my confinement is over I shall die. I did

diction. She had been smart and fashionable in her dress, but now in view of her approaching death she became slovenly; she did not read, she did not laugh, she did not dream aloud. What was more she drove with her aunt to the cemetery and selected a spot for her tomb. Five days before her confinement she made her will. And all this, bear in mind, was don

is there going to be a

lliness, I am

over being silly that you may n

own. It was his wife's first confinement, but it could not have gone better.

now I

her soul to God. She was fully conscious up to the last moment. An

iving me milk i

appened. She died

strate paused, gav

assure you on my honour, this

ked at the sky

e had an inquest

hy

She didn't die because she had predicted

d quickly, facing the doctor,

ou conclude that sh

I assume it. Was she on go

eir marriage. There were unfortunate circumstances. She had found he

her husband's infidelit

vely at the doctor as though he were tr

mining magistrate took off his hat and rubbed his forehead. "Yes, yes . . . it

at she made up her mind to poison herself, but, as most likely she did no

. . . it's impossible. Sh

at she had something bad in her mind.

smile, and, to conceal his too noticeab

queer way, with no desire to be; he came home at night somewhat elevated, wanted to make love to somebody, his wife was in an interesting condition . . . then he came across a lady who had come to stay for three days - da

without a reason

dea has never struck me before! And no one thought of it! Everyone was astonished that her prediction had come to pas

strangely haunted him all through the inquest. As he noted down what the d

rter of an hour, gradually, without any pain?" he as

re. Morphia f

ed to keep something of the sort

looked exhausted, he kept nervously bitin

foot," he said to the docto

overcome with fatigue, as though he had been climbing up a high mountain. He stopped an

She poisoned herself to punish some one else! Why, was the sin so great? O

e clutched at his head

but can it have been easier to die than to forgive? That's typical feminine logic - cruel, merciless l

e doctor had imparted to him seemed to have overwhelmed him, to have poisoned him; he was distracted, shattered in body and soul, and when he got back to