Page 484 sur 490

A new life! That was what he wanted. That was what he was waiting

for. Surely he had begun it already. He had spared one innocent

thing, at any rate. He would never again tempt innocence. He

would be good.

As he thought of Hetty Merton, he began to wonder if the portrait

in the locked room had changed. Surely it was not still so

horrible as it had been? Perhaps if his life became pure, he

would be able to expel every sign of evil passion from the face.

Perhaps the signs of evil had already gone away. He would go and

look.

He took the lamp from the table and crept upstairs. As he

unbarred the door, a smile of joy flitted across his strangely

young-looking face and lingered for a moment about his lips. Yes,

he would be good, and the hideous thing that he had hidden away

would no longer be a terror to him. He felt as if the load had

been lifted from him already.