In a moment more, the doctor came in--a brisk, smiling,self-sufficient man--smartly dressed, with a flower in hisbutton-hole. A stifling odor of musk filled the room, as he drewout his handkerchief with a flourish, and wiped his forehead.

"Plenty of hard work in my line, just now," he said. "Hullo, Mrs.Rook! somebody has been allowing you to excite yourself. I heardyou, before I opened the door. Have you been encouraging her totalk?" he asked, turning to Emily, and shaking his finger at herwith an air of facetious remonstrance.

Incapable of answering him; forgetful of the ordinary restraintsof social intercourse--with the one doubt that preserved herbelief in Mirabel, eager for confirmation--Emily signed to thisstranger to follow her into a corner of the room, out of hearing.She made no excuses: she took no notice of his look of surprise.One hope was all she could feel, one word was all she could say,after that second assertion of Mirabel's guilt. Indicating Mrs.Rook by a glance at the bed, she whispered the word:

"Mad?"

Flippant and familiar, the doctor imitated her; he too looked atthe bed.

"No more mad than you are, miss. As I said just now, my patienthas been exciting herself; I daresay she has talked a littlewildly in consequence. _Hers_ isn't a brain to give way, I cantell you. But there's somebody else--"

Emily had fled from the room. He had destroyed her last fragmentof belief in Mirabel's innocence. She was on the landing tryingto console herself, when the doctor joined her.

"Are you acquainted with the gentleman downstairs?" he asked.

"What gentleman?"

"I haven't heard his name; he looks like a clergyman. If you knowhim--"

"I do know him. I can't answer questions! My mind--"

"Steady your mind, miss! and take your friend home as soon as youcan. _He_ hasn't got Mrs. Rook's hard brain; he's in a state ofnervous prostration, which may end badly. Do you know where helives?"

"He is staying with his sister--Mrs. Delvin."

"Mrs. Delvin! she's a friend and patient of mine. Say I'll lookin to-morrow morning, and see what I can do for her brother. Inthe meantime, get him to bed, and to rest; and don't be afraid ofgiving him brandy."

The doctor returned to the bedroom. Emily heard Mrs. Ellmother'svoice below.

"Are you up there, miss?"

"Yes."

Mrs. Ellmother ascended the stairs. "It was an evil hour," shesaid, "that you insisted on going to this place. Mr. Mirabel--"The sight of Emily's face suspended the next words on her lips.She took the poor young mistress in her motherly arms. "Oh, mychild! what has happened to you?"

"Don't ask me now. Give me your arm--let us go downstairs."

"You won't be startled when you see Mr. Mirabel--will you, mydear? I wouldn't let them disturb you; I said nobody should speakto you but myself. The truth is, Mr. Mirabel has had a dreadfulfright. What are you looking for?"

"Is there a garden here? Any place where we can breathe the freshair?"

There was a courtyard at the back of the house. They found theirway to it. A bench was placed against one of the walls. They satdown.

"Shall I wait till you're better before I say any more?" Mrs.Ellmother asked. "No? You want to hear about Mr. Mirabel? Mydear, he came into the parlor where I was; and Mr. Rook came intoo---and waited, looking at him. Mr. Mirabel sat down in acorner, in a dazed state as I thought. It wasn't for long. Hejumped up, and clapped his hand on his heart as if his heart hurthim. 'I must and will know what's going on upstairs,' he says.Mr. Rook pulled him back, and told him to wait till the younglady came down. Mr. Mirabel wouldn't hear of it. 'Your wife'sfrightening her,' he says; 'your wife's telling her horriblethings about me.' He was taken on a sudden with a shivering fit;his eyes rolled, and his teeth chattered. Mr. Rook made mattersworse; he lost his temper. 'I'm damned,' he says, 'if I don'tbegin to think you _are_ the man, after all; I've half a mind tosend for the police.' Mr. Mirabel dropped into his chair. Hiseyes stared, his mouth fell open. I took hold of his hand.Cold--cold as ice. What it all meant I can't say. Oh, miss, _you_know! Let me tell you the rest of it some other time."

Emily insisted on hearing more. "The end!" she cried. "How did itend?"

"I don't know how it might have ended, if the doctor hadn't comein--to pay his visit, you know, upstairs. He said some learnedwords. When he came to plain English, he asked if anybody hadfrig htened the gentleman. I said Mr. Rook had frightened him.The doctor says to Mr. Rook, 'Mind what you are about. If youfrighten him again, you may have his death to answer for.' Thatcowed Mr. Rook. He asked what he had better do. 'Give me somebrandy for him first,' says the doctor; 'and then get him home atonce.' I found the brandy, and went away to the inn to order thecarriage. Your ears are quicker than mine, miss--do I hear itnow?"

They rose, and went to the house door. The carriage was there.

Still cowed by what the doctor had said, Mr. Rook appeared,carefully leading Mirabel out. He had revived under the action ofthe stimulant. Passing Emily he raised his eyes toher--trembled--and looked down again. When Mr. Rook opened thedoor of the carriage he paused, with one of his feet on the step.A momentary impulse inspired him with a false courage, andbrought a flush into his ghastly face. He turned to Emily.

"May I speak to you?" he asked.

She started back from him. He looked at Mrs. Ellmother. "Tell herI am innocent," he said. The trembling seized on him again. Mr.Rook was obliged to lift him into the carriage.

Emily caught at Mrs. Ellmother's arm. "You go with him," shesaid. "I can't."

"How are you to get back, miss?"

She turned away and spoke to the coachman. "I am not very well. Iwant the fresh air--I'll sit by you."

Mrs. Ellmother remonstrated and protested, in vain. As Emily haddetermined it should be, so it was.

"Has he said anything?" she asked, when they had arrived at theirjourney's end.

"He has been like a man frozen up; he hasn't said a word; hehasn't even moved."

"Take him to his sister; and tell her all that you know. Becareful to repeat what the doctor said. I can't face Mrs. Delvin.Be patient, my good old friend; I have no secrets from you. Onlywait till to-morrow; and leave me by myself to-night."

Alone in her room, Emily opened her writing-case. Searching amongthe letters in it, she drew out a printed paper. It was theHandbill describing the man who had escaped from the inn, andoffering a reward for the discovery of him.

At the first line of the personal description of the fugitive,the paper dropped from her hand. Burning tears forced their wayinto her eyes. Feeling for her handkerchief, she touched thepocketbook which she had received from Mrs. Rook. After a littlehesitation she took it out. She looked at it. She opened it.

The sight of the bank-notes repelled her; she hid them in one ofthe pockets of the book. There was a second pocket which she hadnot yet examined. She pat her hand into it, and, touchingsomething, drew out a letter.

The envelope (already open) was addressed to "James Brown, Esq.,Post Office, Zeeland. "Would it be inconsistent with her respectfor her father's memory to examine the letter? No; a glance woulddecide whether she ought to read it or not.

It was without date or address; a startling letter to lookat--for it only contained three words:

"I say No."

The words were signed in initials:

"S. J."

In the instant when she read the initials, the name occurred toher.

Sara Jethro.