21
LITTLE remains to be recorded to complete this story. I murdered Miss Alster. I did it on the spur of the moment. That is the best that can be said of me. For some time after I did it, I cajoled myself into believing that my strongest motive was Beatrice, but, after my confession, I began to see things more clearly, as they really were, without any further self-deception, without any need of it. Now, I know that my real impulse was a selfish one wrapped in a thin disguise of unselfishness. I want to be quite frank and honest about it now.
When I took Miss Alster to the opera that night, I made my first mistake, the mistake which led directly to it. I allowed her to perceive that I was in love with Beatrice. The change toward me in her attitude was instant. She put me in my place with
