gave and the smothered cry which escaped her
warned me that I must wait yet longer before satisfying my curiosity; so
I desisted at once, and out of pure compassion left her to get what good
she might from the lethargy into which she had fallen.

Being hungry, or at least feeling the necessity of some slight aliment
to help me sustain the fatigues of the night, I sat down now at the
table and partook of some of the dainties with which Miss Althorpe had
kindly provided me. After which I made out a list of such articles as
were necessary to my proper care of the patient who had so strangely
fallen into my hands, and then, feeling that I had a right at last to
indulge in pure curiosity, I turned my attention to the clothing I had
taken from the self-styled Miss Oliver.

The dress was a simple gray one, and the skirts and underclothing all
white. But the latter was of the finest texture, and convinced me,
before I had given them more than a glance, that they were the property
of Howard Van Burnam's wife. For, besides the exquisite quality of the
material, there were to be seen, on the edges of the bands and sleeves,
the marks of stitches and clinging threads of lace, where the trimming
had been torn off, and in one article especially, there were tucks such
as you see come from the hands of French needlewomen only.

This, taken with what had gone before, was proof enough to satisfy me
that I was on the right track, and after Crescenze had come and gone
with the tray and all was quiet in this remote part of the house, I
ventured to open a closet door at the foot of the bed. A brown silk
skirt was hanging within, and in the pocket of that skirt I found a
purse so gay and costly that all doubt vanished as to its being the
property of Howard's luxurious wife.

There were several bills in this purse, amounting to about fifteen
dollars in money, but no change and no memoranda, which latter seemed a
pity. Restoring the purse to its place and the skirt to its peg, I came
softly back to the bedside and examined my patient still more carefully
than I had done before. She was asleep and breathing heavily, but even
with this disadvantage her face had its own attraction, an attraction
which evidently had more or less influenced men, and which, for the
reason perhaps that I have something masculine in my nature, I
discovered to be more or less influencing me, notwithstanding my hatred
of an intriguing character.

However, it was not