I went over to the laboratory table where the new creature was lying. I pulled off the wires that joined her to my machine. I took a sharp knife and cut through the body that I had joined together so carefully. Through the window the monster saw me destroy his woman. With a loud and miserable scream of sadness and lost hope, he ran into the laboratory.

One evening two months later I was sitting in my laboratory. Most of my work was done, and I could finish the woman monster that night. But I wondered if I should finish the work.

Was I making a monster more evil than the first creature? Perhaps a thousand times more evil. How could I know? Perhaps the woman monster would be another murderer. She had not promised to stay away from other people. Perhaps the two monsters would hate each other… and would kill, and murder, and destroy… without end.

As I thought these things, I looked up at the window. Suddenly, in the moonlight, I saw the monster's awful face looking at me. And in his yellow eyes I could see only hate and evil. I knew he would not keep his promise.

"You have destroyed all my hopes of happiness," he cried. "You have left me with one feeling -- hate… and with one wish -- to destroy your happiness. You will be sorry that you were ever born. Remember this: I shall be with you on your wedding night."

He ran quickly out of the laboratory, and I watched him as he left the island in his boat and sailed away across the sea.

I sat and cried as I thought of the danger to Elizabeth. But I knew that the monster would not visit us until our wedding night. I would not die easily, and I would try to kill him before he could kill me.

The next morning I received a letter from Henry. He told me that he was waiting for me to return. I decided to clear the laboratory and to leave the island on the following day. So I returned to the laboratory, where the pieces of the woman monster's body still lay on the floor. I put them all in a large bag with some heavy stones. Then I took the bag to my boat and sailed out to sea. I threw the bag into deep water, and watched it disappear.

I was happier than I had felt for months. I knew I had done the right thing, and now there would be no second monster to follow the first.

As I landed, four of the men came towards me and took me by the arms.

I was very tired, and I went to sleep in the boat. I do not know how long I slept, but when I woke up, I was in the middle of a storm. The wind was driving me further out to sea and my boat began to fill with water. I knew I was in great danger. After some hours the storm passed, and I saw land to the south. Soon I could see the beach… and a crowd of people standing and watching me. Their faces were cold and unfriendly.

I was sad to hear of the murder, but I did not worry about it. I had been far away at the time, and knew nothing about any murder. It would be easy to explain that. So I went with the men to the large house where Judge Kerwin lived.

"We are taking you to Mr Kerwin, the judge. He wants to ask you some questions about the murder of a man here last night," one of the men told me.