The Eight Strokes of the Clock

atchet. The solution of the mystery was unknown and would never have been known, had not circumstances in the cruellest fashion obliged Prince Rén

sappeared, five women of different stations in life, all between twen

lle. Honorine Vernisset, a dressmaker; and Madame Grollinger, an artist. These five women disappeared without the possibility of discovering a single

was found, the dead body of a woman who had been killed by a blow on the head from a hatchet. And each time, not far from the woman, who was firmly bou

lt. A woman disappeared; a week later, to a day, her body was discovered; and that was all. The bonds that fastened her were similar in each case; so wer

bodies were lying in deserted spots. Were the authorities to believe in the execution of a plan of revenge or of a plan intended to do away with the series of persons mutually connected, persons, for instance, li

ought to the local police-station. The leaves of this note-book were all blank, excepting one, on which was written a list of the m

ince every one was acquainted with the sinister list. But, instead of five names, it included six! Yes

ained that, a fortnight ago, a Miss Hermione Williamson, a governess in a family at Auteuil, had left her place to go back to En

found the body in the Meudon woods. Miss W

hrough the crowd when it read this list, written without a doubt in the murderer's own hand. Wha

lled so-and-so; on s

total was si

n, possessing artistic tastes, imagination and an extremely sensitive nature." The "lady with the hatchet," as the journalists christened her, was decidedly no or

etrate it. In casting about for the meaning of the figures which followed the six names, he had come to ask himself whether those figures did not simply represent the number of the days separating one crime from the next. All that he had to d

a solution which so precisely fitted the circumstances: the figures corresponded w

resh crime would be committed a hundred and fourteen days later, that is to say, on the 18th of October? Was it not probable that the horrible business would be repeated in accordance with the murderer's s

logic demanded the performance of yet another act of the abominable tragedy. And it was only natural that, on the morning of that day, Prince Réni

If you meet the lady with the hatche

lady carries me of

when the hatchet flashes in the air, 'I have nothing to fear; he will save

e for their departure for the States. [1] Before four and seven o'clock, he bought

he Tell-

to the Gymnase, where he

rang her up, though without thought of anxiety. The

ed the maid, whom he had engaged for her and who was completely devoted to him. The woman said that her mistress had gone out at two o'clock, with a

s the lette

writing on the envelop

in vain. Hortense did not retu

e maid. "Say that your mistress is in the

e was explained by the very fact of the date, the 18th of Oct

oment, seven full days before me. Let us say six, to avoid any surprise. This is Saturday: Hortense must be set free by m

he mantelpiece in his study. Then at midday on Saturday, the day after the disappearance, he lock

ewspapers which had spoken in detail of the first six crimes. When he had read and reread them, he clos

he darkness was as dense as ever. He had not discovered the smallest

t times he would quake with anguish. Would he arrive in time? There was no reason why he should see more clearly during the

to protect Hortense, to distract her, to inspire her with a relish for existence: all this had simply turned to love. Neither of them was aware of it, because they barely saw each other save at critical times when they were occupied with the a

a terrible time for him. He was losing ground. Giving up his hermit-like seclusion, he threw open the windows and paced to

.... She sees the hatchet.... She is calling to me..

ock which is a sort of signal of the truth that is being sought for. A light shot through his mind. It was not, to be s

a few lines which were to appear in type among the next morning's advertisements. Adolphe was also told t

s in reply to his advertisement. Then two telegrams arrived. Lastly, at three o'clock, there ca

de Lourtier-Vaneau, retired colonial governor,

7 bis, Aven

ostly bindings. M. de Lourtier-Vaneau was a man still in the prime of life, wearing a slightly gr

lency because I read in last year's newspapers that you used to know

de Lourtier. "My wife used to employ he

quaintance has disappeared as th

t. "But I have followed the newspapers carefu

ond, Madame Hortense Daniel, was

is is t

der will be commi

! It must be preven

d in preventing it, with yo

ou been to

inspection of the scenes of the crimes, police enquiries, searching for finger-prints and so on. As none of those proceedings served any good purpose in the previous cases, it would be waste of time to reso

at have

ave reflected. I gave four day

ed his visitor closely and,

lt of your me

therto no one else had done. This enabled me to discover their general meaning, to put aside all the tangle of embarrassing theories and,

is t

, your ex

tier-Vanea

s? What

n known as the lady with

would be

y with the hatchet. The obsession of an idea and the continual repetition of an act are characteristics of the maniac. I do not yet know the idea by which the lady with the hatchet is obsessed but I do know the act that results from it; and it is always the same. The victim is bound with precisely similar ropes. She is killed after the same number of days. She is struck by an identical blow, with the same instrument, in the same place, the middle of the forehead, producing an absolutely vertical wound. An ordinary

er-Vaneau no

ght to see it. But, if we admit that this madwoman has the sort of mathematical logic which governed the murders of the

o millions of women who might have been selected, why Hortense? Why little Vernisset? Why Miss Williamson? If the affair is such as I conceived it, as a whole, that is to say, based upon the blind and fantastic logic of a madwoman, a choice w

found th

aused an

careful examination of the list of victims. But these flashes of truth are never kindled save in a brain overstimula

you," said M. de

way. On this occasion, the newspapers never mentioned anything more than their surnames in speaking of Madame Ladoue, Mlle. Ardent or Mlle. Covereau. On the other hand, Mlle. Vernisset and Miss

y n

n, as I myself suddenly realized it on comparing those two Christian names with that of Hortens

med to be perturbed. Turn

mean? What

er of letters. There is no need to seek any farther. We are sure, are we not, that the Christian names of all the victims offer the same peculiarities? And this gives us, with absolute certainty, the key to the problem which was set us. It explains the madwoman's choice. We now know the connection between the unfortunate victims. There can be no mistake about it. It's that and nothing else. And how this method of choosing confirms my theory! What proof of madn

mself and went up to

r, your excellenc

ing down his forehead. "No ... but all this story is so ups

ded it to M. de Lourtier, who sipped a few mouthfuls from it and then, pulling hims

Even so, it is necessary that it should le

: Herminie, Hilairie, Hermione. Well, these Christian names, for reasons which I do not understand, are essential to the madwoman. She cannot do without them. To find women bearing one of these Christian names and for this purpose only she summons up all her remaining powers of reason, discernment, reflection and intelligence. She hunts about. Sh

sked M. de Lourtie

usual in such cases, to offer a home to the so-called Herminie.

m wh

, M. de

he signature. His first movement was one of surprise, as though he had expected som

, M. de Lourtier?

this letter is s

raid of finding

since it's

h his sentence a

this

ed lady, with a happy and tender expression on her comely face, was sit

briefly presented his v

his express me

he said, "I sent it. As you know, our parlour-ma

interru

ne question: where did you

. Her husba

ne. Who gave yo

s run

wh

ated and

old

icie

es

and, without permitting Rénine to ask any

not far from Paris on an allowance which I make her, read your advertisement and told Madame de Lourtier of it.

N

ve done what I could, I have listened to your arguments an

at him for a few seconds, as a man will look at a failing adversary who has only t

not speak, Hortense Daniel

ay, monsieur! What d

ade it plain to you. Your distress

sieur, if I knew, wh

constrained to hide. The truth about this monstrous tragedy, which suddenly flashed upon you, this tru

Rénine leant over him and, loo

ppened. And I am as much interested as yourself in not attracting attention, because I

rsh and unyielding. M. de Lourtier felt that nothing would bend him if the ne

d. "You think you have see

was no hope for Hortense Daniel; and he was so much infuriated by the thought that the key to the riddle l

n's life is at stake! Speak ...

t Rénine's attack alarmed him, or that he was yielding to this act of violence, but he fe

duty to tell everything

that you save Hortense Daniel. A moment's hesitation ma

e recovered her mental balance and moral health, when, by a stupid accident--a passing carriage--they were killed before her eyes. The poor thing went mad ... with the silent, secretive madness which you imagined. Some time afterwards, when I was appointed to an Algerian station, I brought her to France and put her in the charge of a worthy creature w

ht for a mom

he other o

rma

t initial ... still

you compared the different names, I at once reflected that my unhappy wife was

tims, how are we to explain the murders? What are t

dren were run over before her eyes, night and day she had the horrible spectacle of their death before her eyes, without a moment's interruption, for she never s

"it is not to drive away that p

e Lourtier, thoughtfully,

t under

adwoman ... and because all that happens in that dis

me, is your supposition bas

ts dates a few years back, to a morning when my old nurse for the first time found Hermance fast asleep. Now she was hol

she s

ept a sleep which last

onclusion d

e nerves provoked by taking life exhau

e shu

served her so well with animals. All her madness has become concentrated on that one point: she kills them to rob them of their

she has been sleeping,"

ped him by

ther, that she would stop at nothing to win the blessing of

or, when M. de Lourtier hesitate

m there,"

m th

ves me the news at th

one to Rénine, who whispered in his e

, Félicienne

o bad,

sleepi

, indeed, she never closed her eye

e doing at

in her

icienne, and do

he's locked

r. I'm coming straight on.... Hullo! Hull

flat and ran down to the avenue. Réni

addr

e d'A

operations ... like a spider in the mi

. He saw the whole adventu

from it. She has to hunt and has to find. And she finds and carries off her prey beforehand and watches over it for the appointed number of days, until the moment when, crazily, through the hole which she digs with a hatchet in the middle of the skull, she absorbs the sleep which stupefies her and grants her oblivion for a given period. And here again we see absurdity and madness. Why does she fix that period at so many days? Why should one victim ensure her a h

ing hands, all proved his remorse and his despair: "She deceived me," he murmured.

ow can

f cottage in which Hermance lives stands quite apart. There is first a room occupied by Félicienne, then Hermance's bedroom and tw

e that conveys t

horse and carriage there for station work. Hermance no doubt gets up

urse who w

s very old an

ng to and fro, doing this and that. Mu

elf has been deceived b

ephoned to Madame de Lourtier fir

he does not understand, as you were saying just now, but reads through them attentively, must have seen the

Hortense dead, she would have known, once she had used up her allowance of sleep, where to find

t not fast enough to please R

he, can't you?... We'r

sudden changes of mood, to any perilous idea that may enter the mind. The madwoman might easily mis

aiting for the appointed moment? Was this not the reason why she had locked herself into her room? Heavens

'll take the wheel mys

e was a steep, sloping road on the right

tn't give warning of our presence, must w

," said M. de

run along a bank at the side of an ill-kept sunk

that window on the ground-floor. It belongs to one of the

dow seems to

pected anything. But she must ha

ars. Rénine quickly clambered up, finding

one of the ba

ce to the window-

woman seated beside another woman, who was lying on a mattress. The woman seated

rtier, who had also climbed the

making enough noise to arouse the madwoman's attention. He next slid his hand to the

ire, surely!" M. de Lo

ust, I

there was an obstacle of which he was not

r to seize the madwoman. But she did not wait for him. She

made as though

nine, kneeling down, "Let

y reassured: Ho

s stifling her. Attracted by the noise, the old nurse had hastened to the r

ith emaciated features and eyes blazing with fe

did not despair for a momen

fain

the cottage, they found the madwoman locked into a

nurse announced the madwoman's suicide. Rénine gave Félicienne minute directions as to what she should do and

Rénine carefully questioned her and asked

as how I came to speak to that poor madwoman and how, the other day, she made signs that she wanted me to visit her. We were alone. I went into the cottage. She threw herself upon me and overpowered

n't you f

ome food, now and then, when the fancy t

something else: th

ril?" she aske

hat Hortense had not for a moment suspected and did not yet suspect the terrible danger which she had r

d been locked up for years, died in the asylum at Ville d'Avray, and Hortense, who had been recommended by her doctor a sho