was excited, and
that he carried in his hand a heavy hunting-crop. He was turning in at
the gate when she addressed him.

"The doctor is not in, sir," said she.

"How do you know that?" he asked harshly.

"I have been to the surgery door, sir."

"I see a light," said the young squire, looking up the drive. "That is
in his study, is it not?"

"Yes, sir; but I am sure that he is out."

"Well, he must come in again," said young Morton, and passed through
the gate while Mrs. Madding went upon her homeward way.

At three o'clock that morning her husband suffered a sharp relapse, and
she was so alarmed by his symptoms that she determined to call the
doctor without delay. As she passed through the gate she was surprised
to see someone lurking among the laurel bushes. It was certainly a man,
and to the best of her belief Mr. Arthur Morton. Preoccupied with her
own troubles, she gave no particular attention to the incident, but
hurried on upon her errand.

When she reached the house she perceived to her surprise that the light
was still burning in the study. She therefore tapped at the surgery
door. There was no answer. She repeated the knocking several times
without effect. It appeared to her to be unlikely that the doctor
would either go to bed or go out leaving so brilliant a light behind
him, and it struck Mrs. Madding that it was possible that he might have
dropped asleep in his chair. She tapped at the study window,
therefore, but without result. Then, finding that there was an opening
between the curtain and the woodwork, she looked through.

The small room was brilliantly lighted from a large lamp on the central
table, which was littered with the doctor's books and instruments. No
one was visible, nor did she see anything unusual, except that in the
farther shadow thrown by the table a dingy white glove was lying upon
the carpet. And then suddenly, as her eyes became more accustomed to
the light, a boot emerged from the other end of the shadow, and she
realized, with a thrill of horror, that what she had taken to be a
glove was the hand of a man, who was prostrate upon the floor.
Understanding that something terrible had occurred, she rang at the
front door, roused Mrs. Woods, the housekeeper, and the two women made
their way into the study, having first dispatched the maidservant to
the police-station.

At the side of the table, away from the window, Dr. Lana was discovered
stretched upon his bac