Page:The Fate of Fenella (1892).djvu/131

 "They thought it was someone stronger than Fenella whose grasp made those marks on the dead man's throat." He suddenly looked round to see that no one but himself had observed what had happened, and then, being satisfied on this point, murmured again:

"A noble woman, by Jove! A noble woman!" He called out;

"Frank—Frank Onslow! Wake up, man." Onslow raised his head as a man does when suddenly awakened, and smiled as he said:

"What is it, old man? Have I been asleep?" It was quite evident that he had no recollection of what had just passed. Castleton came and sat down beside him, and his kindly face was grave as he asked:

"You have read the papers?"

"I have."

"Now tell me—you offered to do so—why you said 'Thank God!' when I told you that your wife had killed De Mürger?"

Frank Onslow paused. Although the memory of what he had thought to be his shame had been with him daily and nightly until he had become familiarized with it, it was another thing to speak of it, even to such a friend as Castleton. Even now, when it was apparent from the issue of the trial that his wife had avenged so dreadfully the attempt upon her honor, he felt it hard to speak on the subject. Castleton saw the