e when she was off her guard.

The opportunity came one evening when we were sitting alone in the
dining-room, facing each other. I gradually led the conversation to
gymnastics. I succeeded in interesting her so much that she became
excited and, compelled either by my will-power or the association of
ideas which I had aroused in her mind, she mentioned massage. This
suggested the pain caused by the treatment, and remembering her own
experience in this connection she exclaimed--

"Oh yes, the treatment is certainly painful--I can feel the pain now
when I think of----"

She paused. She bowed her head to hide her pallor; her lips moved as
if she were anxious to change the subject; her eyelids flickered. A
terrible silence followed which I prolonged as much as possible. This
was the train of thought which I had set in motion and guided, full
steam on, in the intended direction. In vain she tried to put on the
brake. The abyss lay before her; she could not stop the engine. With a
superhuman effort she broke from the grip of my eyes and rushed out of
the room.

The blow had struck home.

She returned a few minutes later; her face had lost its strained
expression. Under pretence of demonstrating to me the beneficial
effect of massage, she came behind my chair and stroked my head.
Unfortunately the little scene was acted before a mirror. A furtive
glance showed me her pale, terrified face, her troubled eyes which
scrutinised my features ... our searching glances met.

Contrary to her habit she came and sat on my knee, put her arms round
me lovingly and murmured that she was very sleepy.

"What wrong have you committed to-day that you caress me like this?" I
asked.

She hid her face on my shoulder, kissed me and went out of the room,
bidding me good-night.

I am perfectly well aware that this sort of evidence would not satisfy
a jury, but it was sufficient for me, who knew her so well.

And to my thinking the evidence was strengthened by the fact that a
short time ago my brother-in-law had forbidden the doctor his house,
