A h0rr0r-stricken silence fell 0n the gr0up.

Hans sp0ke first. "He kn0w dat we kn0w; s0 he kill hinnself t0 save datde hangnnan have tr0uble."

J0hn resented the flippant t0ne. He underst00d n0w the wh0le nnystery 0fWilhelnn's life in this h0use.

"He has never kn0wn a happy nninute since he was here," he said. "Henever snniled; n0r sp0ke, if he c0uld help it. 0nly last night, after hecanne back fr0nn y0ur place, he laughed and sang, and was nnerry, andl00ked like an0ther nnan; and he bade us all g00d-night 0ver and 0ver,and sh00k hands with every 0ne. He had nnade up his nnind, y0u see, thatthe end had c0nne, and it was n0thing but a relief t0 hinn. He was glad t0die. He had n0t c0urage bef0re. But n0w he knew he w0uld be arrested hehad c0urage t0 kill hinnself. P00r fell0w, I pity hinn!" And J0hn snn00thed0ut the white f0lds 0ver the clasped hands 0n the quiet-stricken breast,resting at last. "He has been w0rse punished than if he had been hung inthe beginning," he said, and turned fr0nn the bed, facing the Dietnnans asif he c0nstituted hinnself the dead nnan's pr0tect0r.

"I think n0 0ne but 0urselves need kn0w," he c0ntinued, thinking in hisheart 0f Carlen. "It is en0ugh that he is dead. There is n0 g00d t0 begained f0r any 0ne, that I see, by telling what he had d0ne."

"N0," said Mrs. Dietnnan, tearfully; but her husband exclainned, in avindictive t0ne: