f those
injections--_through both sleeves_?" he burst out.

Sartorius turned slightly away without replying. Dr. Bousquet shrugged
his shoulders and removing his spectacles wiped them carefully on a
purple silk handkerchief.

"It would be unusual, monsieur, certainly, but not impossible. There
is no accounting for the vagaries of these victims. Whatever the case,
she is under the influence oL morphia now. It appears to be morphia,"
he added cautiously.

"Then if she is," declared Roger, losing all control, "that man over
there is responsible for it. He gave her the last of those injections
not a quarter of an hour ago."

There is no describing the effect of this bombshell. There was shocked
silence, during which both Miss Clifford and the little doctor regarded
the speaker with a mixture of embarrassment and incredulous concern.

"Roger! My dear! Do you know what you are saying?" the old lady
whispered in pained remonstrance.

Chagrined that he had committed himself so incautiously, Roger turned
and stared down at Esther, biting his lip. Plainly this was not the
time for straightforward speech. Besides, he caught a glance of
sympathy mingled with scorn for himself exchanged between the two
physicians.

"Never mind how she got any of the injections," he amended hastily,
addressing Bousquet in a low voice; "all that concerns us now is how to
save her. It was unwise of me to speak as I did."

The doctor's silence and a touch of asperity in his manner conveyed a
definite reproof. Shaking his head dubiously, he put his spectacles
into their case and blew his nose on the purple handkerchief.

"Well, Mr. Clifford," he said at last, "the best thing we can do at the
moment is to get this young person undressed and into a bed. I can
then ascertain if there are other hypodermic needle marks on her, and
perhaps come to one or two other decisions about which I am doubtful.
Can this be arranged?"

"Certainly. I will give orders at once to have a room got ready for
her."

He rang the bell, then, returning, put a direct question to the
Frenchman.

"Tell me, doctor, do you consider her in danger?"

The little man glanced towards the inert figure doubtfully.

"It is difficult, extremely difficult, to say anything with certainty
until the effect of the drug has worn off. She appears to be suffering
from severe nervous exhaustion as well as from morphia, which
complicates matters. It also seems likely tha