"Let me go, Robert,--the, captain is stirring,--I must give him
something."

"No, Ma'am, yer can't stir an inch. Look here!"

Holding me with one hand, with the other he took up the glass in which I
had left the draught, and showed me it was empty.

"Has he taken it?" I asked, more and more bewildered.

"I flung it out o' winder, Ma'am; he'll have to do without."

"But why, Robert? why did you do it?"

"Because I hate him!"

Impossible to doubt the truth of that; his whole face showed it, as he
spoke through his set teeth, and launched a fiery glance at the
unconscious captain. I could only hold my breath and stare blankly at
him, wondering what mad act was coming next. I suppose I shook and
turned white, as women have a foolish habit of doing when sudden danger
daunts them; for Robert released my arm, sat down upon the bedside just
in front of me, and said, with the ominous quietude that made me cold to
see and hear,--

"Don't yer be frightened, Ma'am: don't try to run away, fer the door's
locked an' the key in my pocket; don't yer cry out, fer yer'd have to
scream a long while, with my hand on yer mouth, before yer was heard.
Be still, an' I'll tell yer what I'm goin' to do."

"Lord help us! he has taken the fever in some sudden, violent way, and
is out of his head. I must humor him till some one comes"; in pursuance
of which swift determination, I tried to say, quite composedly,--

"I will be still and hear you; but open the window. Why did you shut
it?"

"I'm sorry I can't do it, Ma'am; but yer'd jump out, or call, if I did,
an' I'm not ready yet. I shut it to make yer sleep, an' heat would do it
quicker 'n anything else I could do."

The captain moved, and feebly muttered, "Water!" Instinctively I rose,
to give it to him, but the heavy hand came down upon my shoulder, and in
the same decided tone Robert said,--

"The water went with the physic; let him call."

"Do let me go to him! he'll die without care!"

"I mean he shall;--don't yer interfere, if yer please, Ma'am."

In spite of his quiet tone and respectful manner, I saw murder in his
eyes, and turned faint with fear; yet the fear excited me, and, hardly
knowing what I did, I seized the hands that had seized me, crying,--

"No, no, you shall not kill him! it is base to hurt a helpless man. Why
do you hate him? He is not your master?"

"He's my brother."

I felt that answer from head to foot, and seemed to fathom what was
coming, with a