And if he could have answered, what could she have done?
The pain was in his heart, was the burning agony of remorse for having done that which he still believed to be right, that which he now thought he would give his soul's salvation for the chance to undo.

For, as the paralysis began to lock his body fast in its vise, the awful thought had for the first time come to him: "When my children know what I have done they will _hate_ me! They will hate me all their lives." Dr.Schulze examined him.

"Somewhat sooner than I expected," he muttered.
"How long will it last ?" said Ellen.
"Some time--several weeks--months--perhaps." He would let her learn gradually that the paralysis would not relax its grip until it had borne him into the eternal prison and had handed him over to the jailer who makes no deliveries..