rapidly, like some beast of prey, flung something on her head, something strong-smelling, heavy, white . . . What happened then I don't remember ... I don't remember! It was like death, like a murder , . . When at last that fearful darkness began to pass away — when I . . . when my friend came to herself, there was no one in the room. Again, and for a long time, she had not the strength to scream, she screamed at last . . . then again everything was confusion. . . . Then she saw her husband by her side: he had been kept at the club till two o'clock at night . . . He looked scared and white. He began questioning her, but she told him nothing. . . . Then she swooned away again. I remember though when she was left alone in the room, she examined the place in the wall. . . . Under the tapestry hangings it turned out there was a secret door. And her betrothal ring had gone from off her hand. This ring was of an unusual pattern; seven little gold stars alternated on it with seven silver stars; it was an old family heirloom. Her husband asked her what had become of the ring ; she could give him no answer. Her husband supposed she had dropped it somewhere, searched everywhere, but could not find it. He felt uneasy and distressed; he decided to go home as soon as possible and directly
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