While Herman watched him with a wondering eye, the young man replaced the gold pieces in his pocket, and rising from his chair, surveyed the room with an attentive gaze. His eye rested at length upon an iron candlestick, which stood upon a shelf of the library; it was evidently out of place in that luxurious room; and had been left there through the forgetfulness of the servant who took care of the Rev. Dr. Bulgin's study. Dermoyne took this candlestick from the shelf, and then returned to the light. "Do you see this? It is about six inches long and one inch in diameter. Would it not take a strong man to break that in twain with both hands?" Herman took the candlestick; examined it attentively: "It would take a Sampson," he said. "Now look at my hand." Dermoyne extended a hand which, hardened by labor in the palm, was not so large as it was muscular and bony. "What have I to do with your hand?" exclaimed Herman, in evident disgust. "Watch me," said Dermoyne; and, resting the candlestick on his right hand, he closed his fingers, and pressed his thumb against it. After an instant he opened his hand again. The iron candlestick was bent nearly double. Dermoyne had accomplished this feat without the appearance of exertion. "Why, you are a very Hercules!" ejaculated Herman,--"and yet, you are not above the medium height. You do not look like a strong man." "God has invested me with almost superhuman strength," replied Dermoyne, as he stood erect before the minister, resting one hand upon the table: "had it not been for that, hard work would have killed me long ago. I can lift with one hand, a weight, which would task the strength of almost any two men but to budge; I can strike a blow, which, properly planted, would fell an ox; I can--" "You needn't dilate," interrupted Herman, "the study of the Rev. Dr. Bulgin is not exactly the place for gymnastic experiments--" "Well, you'll see my drift directly," calmly continued Dermoyne--"I have never dared to use this strength, save in the way of work or occasional exercise. I regard it as a kind of trust, given to me by Providence for a good purpose." "What purpose, pray?" said Herman, opening his eyes. "To punish those criminals whom the law does not punish; to protect those victims it does not protect," answered Dermoyne, steadily. "Now, for instance, were I to encounter the seducer of Alice Burney,--were I to stand face to face with him, as I do with you,--were I to place my thumb upon his right temple and my fingers upon his left temple,--thus--" "You,--you,--" gasped the minister, who suddenly felt the hand of Arthur Dermoyne upon his forehead; the thumb pressed gently upon the right temple and the fingers upon his left--"you,--would,--what?" "I would, quietly, without a word, crush his skull as you might crush an egg-shell," slowly answered Dermoyne. He took his hand away. The face of Herman was white as a sheet. He shook in his velvet chair. For a moment he could not speak.