For a moment the idea of lying at length upon the bed occurred to him, but in an instant he recoiled from it, horrified at the thought of the death that struck from above; no, it would be best to sit upon the edge of the bed, falling backward with the shot.

Then he wondered as to which it should be, his heart or his head; evidently the head was the better; there upon the right side in the little hollow of the temple, and the next moment he found himself curiously touching and pressing the spot with his fingers.

All at once he heard the little clicking noise that the clock makes a minute or so before the hour.

It was almost two; he sat down upon the edge of the bed, cocking the revolver, waiting for the clock to strike.

An idea came to him, and he looked at the calendar that stood at the right of the clock upon the top of the low bookcase.