Should she hear of the design of Dr. Hildstein,
she would never again have a moment's peace, married or unmarried. Once
I advised that the two be dissuaded from marrying, at least for a year.
In that time we could see if these people really had any power over Mr.
Kilbright.
"That will not do at all," said Mrs. Colesworthy. "It will be very long
to postpone their happiness; and besides, if that German gets hold of
Mr. Kilbright while he is still unmarried, he will snap him up, or
rather, blow him out in no time."
"I thought we had persuaded ourselves," I said, sadly, "that no one
could have any real power of dematerialization."
"So we had," said she, "but that sort of persuasion does not always
last."
The result was that we did nothing but hope for the best. But we could
not blame ourselves, for, really, there was nothing else to do. I had
given up all idea of endeavoring to put Mr. Corbridge and his associates
under legal restriction, because if they had power to do the evil we
feared, they could do it in one place as well as another, and no court
could determine when, how, or by whom Mr. Kilbright had been
dematerialized.
The day before the wedding-day the German doctor arrived in our town;
and, having heard this, I went immediately to the hotel where Mr.
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