our patient should be again seized with a fit of violence."

John Arthur immediately saw that he had damaged his own cause.

"You had better sleep upon my proposition, Mr. Arthur," said Madeline,
from the threshold. "If you pine for liberty, send for me. And don't
think, for a moment, that I shall allow you to go free without taking
the necessary precautions to insure myself against any trouble you
might desire to make me. Adieu, Mr. Arthur." And she swept from the
room.

John Arthur stood for many minutes in the same place and attitude.
When his anger would permit him, he began to wonder. She had come and
gone, and how much the wiser was he? Where had she been all these
months? Why had she allowed them to think her dead? Who were her
friends, for friends she must have found? Why had her presence in the
house, if she had been here, been kept from him? How had she gained
the ascendancy over every one in that house? He thought so long and
intensely that he started up, at last, almost beginning to fear that
he was becoming mad.

When Dr. Le Guise again came into his presence, he began to question
him. But it was labor lost. Dr. Le Guise would not admit that he was a
sane man. Dr. Le Guise knew nothing, absolutely nothing, outside the
range of his professional duties. He was sorry for his patient; very
sorry. He assumed to take all assertions on the part of Mr. Arthur as
so many fresh evidences of insanity.

[Illustration: "Don't try that, sir!" cried Henry, in high
wrath.--page 375.]

He was very grave, was Dr. Le Guise, but not to be moved. In fact, the
prisoner fancied that he could observe in the doctor's tone, manner,
and countenance, an unusual degree of complacency, and relish for his
position and authority. And the prisoner was right. The reason for
the doctor's placidity of manner was simply this:

Madeline on leaving the rooms of the west wing, had encountered the
worthy "doctor" just at the turn of the passage, and she had paused,
saying:

"Dr. Le Guise, you were right about my unfortunate step-father. He is
quite mad, and really a dangerous charge. An ordinary fee is too
little to offer you, considering what you have undertaken. I don't
know what terms my step-mamma has made with you, but I will volunteer
to double her price. You will be amply remunerated, and must consider
the house and everything in it at your disposal, so long as you keep
your patient safe, and do not permit him to do any mischief."