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The iron strip was added to give weight, so that the woman might

not guess the first minute that the "thing" was made of wood. All

this had been stored by him beforehand under the sofa. He had

only just got the pledge out when he heard someone suddenly about

in the yard.

"It struck six long ago."

"Long ago! My God!"

He rushed to the door, listened, caught up his hat and began to

descend his thirteen steps cautiously, noiselessly, like a cat.

He had still the most important thing to do--to steal the axe

from the kitchen. That the deed must be done with an axe he had

decided long ago. He had also a pocket pruning-knife, but he

could not rely on the knife and still less on his own strength,

and so resolved finally on the axe. We may note in passing, one

peculiarity in regard to all the final resolutions taken by him

in the matter; they had one strange characteristic: the more

final they were, the more hideous and the more absurd they at

once became in his eyes. In spite of all his agonising inward

struggle, he never for a single instant all that time could

believe in the carrying out of his plans.