sking what he meant. He answered to this, that he has a
few more inquiries to make, and that he will tell me what he means
to-morrow.

For God's sake come here as soon as you possibly can. The whole burden
is thrown on me--and I am quite unequal to it.

I received the doctor to-day in the drawing-room. To my amazement,
he begged leave to speak with me in the garden. When I asked why, he
answered: "I don't want to have a listener at the door. Come out on the
lawn, where we can be sure that we are alone."

When we were in the garden, he noticed that I was trembling.

"Rouse your courage, Miss Jillgall," he said. "In the Minister's
helpless state there is nobody whom I can speak to but yourself."

I ventured to remind him that he might speak to Helena as well as to
myself.

He looked as black as thunder when I mentioned her name. All he said
was, "No!" But, oh, if you had heard his voice--and he so gentle and
sweet-tempered at other times--you would have felt, as I did, that he
had Helena in his mind!

"Now, listen to this," he went on. "Everything that my art can do for
Mr. Philip Dunboyne, while I am at his bedside, is undone while I am
away by some other person. He is worse to-day than I have seen him yet."

"Oh, sir, do you think he will die?"

"He will certainly die unless the right means are taken to save him, and
taken at once. It is my duty not to flinch from telling you the truth.
I have made a discovery since yesterday which satisfies me that I am
right. Somebody is trying to poison Mr. Dunboyne; and somebody will
succeed unless he is removed from this house."

I am a poor feeble creature. The doctor caught me, or I should have
dropped on the grass. It was not a fainting-fit. I only shook and
shivered so that I was too weak to stand up. Encouraged by the doctor,
I recovered sufficiently to be able to ask him where Philip was to be
taken to. He said: "To the hospital. No poisoner can follow my patient
there. Persuade him to let me take him away, when I call again in an
hour's time."

As soon as I could hold a pen, I sent a telegram to you. Pray, pray come
by the earliest train. I also telegraphed to old Mr. Dunboyne, at the
hotel in London.

It was impossible for me to face Helena; I own I was afraid. The
cook kindly went upstairs to see who was in Philip's room. It was the
housemaid's turn to look after him for a while. I went instantly to his
bedside.

There was no persuading him to allow hims