inly very significant," said Dr. Zacharie
pointedly.

Dr. McMutrie was still sceptical. Dryly he said:

"Yes, it signifies that she dislikes her relatives, but dislike of one's
relatives is not necessarily a sign of mental derangement. I know some
very excellent people who cannot bear the sight of their relatives."

"On the other hand," retorted Mr. Cooley, "Hamlet hated his uncle, and
it developed into a general mania for killing people. If he'd been
properly restrained five innocent lives would have been saved."

"Five lives--that is not in the medical records, is it?" demanded
Professor Bodley anxiously.

"Shakespeare killed them--not Hamlet," laughed Dr. McMutrie.

"Still," said Mr. Cooley significantly, "it's a good object lesson."

"We don't need object lessons from playwrights," rejoined Dr. McMutrie
sharply.

"Certainly not," chuckled the professor.

"Hush!" exclaimed Jimmy. "Here comes my niece!"

The door of the little room opened, but it was not Paula. Mrs. Parkes
appeared instead.

"She won't come, sir," said the landlady apologetically. "I told her,
and I tried to persuade her, but she wouldn't."

"Then we'll go to her," said Mr. Cooley determinedly.

He made a motion as if he would use force, but Mrs. Parkes, alarmed,
held up her arms entreatingly.

"No, please, sir, the poor girl's so frightened! Won't you come
to-morrow?"

Dr. Zacharie advanced, full of importance and authority.

"I'll get her," he said grimly. "That is, of course, unless I have
completely lost my influence over her. In these cases one can never be
sure what form the delusion will take."

"Do as you think best, doctor," assented Mr. Cooley.

Dr. Zacharie opened the door and went in. There was a short delay during
which the others waited expectantly. In a few moments the door again
opened and Paula entered docily, the physician at her side.

CHAPTER XV.

Nervous and trembling, in a condition verging on total collapse, the
young girl suffered herself to be led into the parlor, there to face the
strange tribunal which was to pass judgment upon her. Further resistance
she felt was useless. That she realized. These men would sit there and
persecute her until she surrendered and submitted to their merciless
cross-examination. Whether they had a legal right thus to invade the
privacy of her home she did not know. Mr. Ricaby had gone to Albany, and
there was no way of communicating with him. No doubt her uncle an