had added to
the assurance, details of an unexpected nature--so unexpected, indeed,
that the lawyer was led away by the prospect they offered of confounding
the prosecution by a line of defence to which no clew had been given by
anything that had appeared.

He planned then and there a dramatic climax which should take the breath
away from his opponent, and change the whole feeling of the court towards
the prisoner. It was a glorious prospect, and if the girl remained
well--the bare possibility of her not doing so, drove him prematurely
from her presence; and so it happened that, for the second time, the
subject of Adelaide's death was discussed in her hearing without any
mention being made of strangulation as its immediate cause. Would her
action have been different had she known that this was a conceded fact?

Mr. Moffat did not repeat this visit. He was not willing to risk his
secret by being seen too often at the doctor's house; but telephonic
communication was kept up between him and her present guardian, and he
was able to bear himself quietly and with confidence until the time drew
near for the introduction of her testimony. Then he grew nervous, fearing
that Nurse Unwin would come to herself and telegraph Carmel's escape, and
so prepare the prosecution for his great stroke. But nothing of the kind
happened; and, when the great day came, he had only to consider how he
should prepare Arthur for the surprise awaiting him, and finally decided
not to prepare him at all, but simply to state at the proper moment, and
in the face of the whole court-room, that his sister had recovered and
would soon take her place upon the stand. The restraint of the place
would thus act as a guard between them, and Carmel's immediate entrance
put an end to the reproaches of whose bitterness he could well judge from
his former experience of them.

With all these anxieties and his deeply planned _coup d'etat_ awaiting
the moment of action, Ella's simple outburst and even Ranelagh's
unexpected and somewhat startling suggestion lost much of their
significance. All his mind and heart were on his next move. It was to be
made with the queen, and must threaten checkmate. Yet he did not forget
the two pawns, silent in their places--but guarding certain squares which
the queen, for all her royal prerogatives, might not be able to reach.

BOOK FOUR

WHAT THE PINES WHISPERED

XXIX

"I REMEMBERED THE ROOM"

MERCURY.--If thou mig