in the time of its arrival is surely immaterial,
and not to be weighed against the progress of scientific research. But
I was confident that the disease, thus transmitted, would not prove
fatal. That is, I was sure that I could effect a cure."

"But it seems that you did not do so. The woman died."

"She died from poison. I carefully attended her during her attack of
diphtheria, until an unlooked-for accident occurred. I became ill
myself. It was not an ailment of any consequence, but I felt that it
would be safer to call in assistance, and I placed the case in the
hands of Dr. Fisher. He afterwards stupidly called in Dr. Meredith.
However, despite their old fogy methods, she made a good rally and was
on the safe side of the crisis, when that hypodermic case was left
temptingly within her reach. I think now that she shammed sleep, in
order to distract my attention from her. Morphine _habitues_ are very
cunning in obtaining their coveted drug. However that may be, I was
suddenly aroused to the fact that there was a movement in the bed, and
turning my head, I saw her pushing the needle of the syringe under her
flesh. I sprang up and hastened to her, but she had made the
injection, and dropped back to the pillows, when I reached her. She
had not withdrawn the needle, and I was in the act of doing that, when
the nurse entered."

"Then you adhere to the story which you told upon the stand?"

"Certainly! It is the truth!"

"But, Doctor," said Mr. Barnes, "you have not, even yet, proven that
she did not die of diphtheria."

"She did not! I tell you it was the morphine that deprived her of
life. I know it! She died of poison! There is no question about that!"

Thus the Doctor, though admitting that he had produced the diphtheria,
persistently asseverated that Mabel had not succumbed to its
influence. Thus is explained his not advancing the theory of
diphtheria as a cause of death, when arranging his defence, at the
trial. To have escaped the gallows in that manner, would have been to
burden his conscience with the murder of the woman whom he loved, for
if she died of diphtheria, while he must have escaped conviction by
the jury, he would know within his own heart that it was his hand that
deprived her of life. Mr. Barnes replied:

"But there is a question in this last case. Madame died of diphtheria,
and since you admit that you can produce it by inoculation, what am I
to believe?"

"I care not what you believe," sa