"Of course," she answered slowly, "you don't know about that. No. How
could you?"

He hoped she was going to continue, but instead she raised herself on
her elbow and whispered, "Tell me this. What have you done about him?"

"You mean the doctor? Nothing. He's in his room now, asleep, I
suppose. It's about three o'clock, you know."

She drew in her breath sharply, her pupils dilating.

"Do you mean you haven't arrested him--after what I told you? Then he
_was_ outside that door! I knew it!"

He caught her hands in a reassuring grasp.

"No, no, my dear, you mustn't be frightened. Don't you understand it's
impossible to arrest the man--without a reason?"

She gave him a piercing look.

"But I _told_ you! Didn't you hear what I said? He's a murderer! He
murdered your father, and he was going to kill you too, if I hadn't
found out and got here in time! Oh, aren't people stupid! I thought
I'd made it all clear!"

She tore her hands from his hold and covered her face for an instant,
crying, "Oh, oh! Why couldn't you have him arrested at once, both of
them for that matter? I can't understand! Why didn't you?"

There was no evading the sharpness of her question. He dropped his
eyes in embarrassment, unable to reply.

"Oh!" she burst out as though the truth had suddenly dawned on her,
"now I know, I see it all! You thought I didn't know what I was
saying. You thought I was raving. The doctor made you believe it. He
would; he's always prepared for any emergency, even though he never
dreamed I should get away!"

"Get away? What do you mean by that, Esther?"

Instead of replying, she lifted his right hand and examined it with
feverish interest.

"Are you absolutely sure he didn't touch this place in any way? You
didn't let him put anything on it?"

"No, no--nothing at all."

She sank back, exhausted.

"Thank God! I began to be afraid I didn't save you after all," she
breathed, and laughed a little hysterically. "Oh, Roger, I shall dream
for years of that terrible time I had trying to reach you! I honestly
thought I should die on the way."

"Esther," he said, forcing himself to speak calmly, "where were you
during those two days and nights? What do you mean by a terrible time
trying to reach me?"

Her face contracted with a spasm of pain, as though the memory were
unbearable. He pressed her hand, quick to spare her, and afraid, too,
that he might do her an injury.

"It doesn't