t was, 'When he--say--I--asleep.' There
were long pauses between each of the words. She said it four or five
times. But she hasn't said anything since she waked up."

"How long has she been awake?"

"About fifteen minutes. Mr. Morley saw her five minutes ago, but he
wasn't in there more than a minute or two."

"Morley's seen her a second time!"

"Yes; but each time she hasn't wanted to talk to him. The truth is, she
drove him out of the room."

"You didn't hear what they said?"

Miss Kelly drew herself up indignantly.

"I wasn't in the room," she said coldly. "Of course, I didn't hear."

Bristow apologized for the implication that she had overheard
intentionally.

When he and Greenleaf were shown into Miss Fulton's room, he had made up
his mind in lightning-like manner that what she had said in her delirium,
meant: "When he (her father or the police) asks me about last night, I
shall say I was asleep all night." It came to him like an intuition,
without his even trying to reason it out; and he decided to act on it.

They found Maria Fulton propped up against pillows in the bed. Although
her pupils were still enlarged by the sedatives she had had, she was
plainly labouring under the stress of great emotion.

Bristow was pleased by that. It would make it easier to learn what she
knew. It is difficult, he reflected, for a person under the partial
effects of a drug to lie intelligently or convincingly.

He and Greenleaf, taking the chairs that had been placed near the bed by
Miss Kelly, regretted the necessity of their intrusion.

"Oh, it's all right," Miss Fulton said petulantly. "I know it's
essential. Dr. Braley told me so."

Bristow studied her intently. He saw that Mrs. Allen had been right.
Maria Fulton was a dissatisfied, peevish woman. She had the heavy,
slightly pendent lower lip that goes with much pouting. There was the
constant trace of a frown between her eyebrows, and in the eyes
themselves was the look of complaint and protest which the "martyr-type"
woman always shows.

She was of the infantile, spoiled class, he decided, one who, remembering
that her childhood tears and fits of temper had always resulted in her
getting what she wanted, had brought the habit into her adult years. He
noted, too, that her gorgeous ash-blond hair had been carefully "done,"
piled in high masses above her petulant face.

"There are just a few questions which we thought it imperative to ask
you," he said, tryin