had myself previously recommended sending for advice to London. This
course had been now taken. The physician, on his arrival, confirmed my
view of the case. The crisis was serious. But we had hope of our
charming patient on the fifth day from the appearance of the typhus. I
was only once absent from Blackwater at this time--when I went to
London by the morning train to make the final arrangements at my house
in St. John's Wood, to assure myself by private inquiry that Mrs.
Clements had not moved, and to settle one or two little preliminary
matters with the husband of Madame Rubelle. I returned at night. Five
days afterwards the physician pronounced our interesting Marian to be
out of all danger, and to be in need of nothing but careful nursing.
This was the time I had waited for. Now that medical attendance was no
longer indispensable, I played the first move in the game by asserting
myself against the doctor. He was one among many witnesses in my way
whom it was necessary to remove. A lively altercation between us (in
which Percival, previously instructed by me, refused to interfere)
served the purpose in view. I descended on the miserable man in an
irresistible avalanche of indignation, and swept him from the house.

The servants were the next encumbrances to get rid of. Again I
instructed Percival (whose moral courage required perpetual
stimulants), and Mrs. Michelson was amazed, one day, by hearing from
her master that the establishment was to be broken up. We cleared the
house of all the servants but one, who was kept for domestic purposes,
and whose lumpish stupidity we could trust to make no embarrassing
discoveries. When they were gone, nothing remained but to relieve
ourselves of Mrs. Michelson--a result which was easily achieved by
sending this amiable lady to find lodgings for her mistress at the
sea-side.

The circumstances were now exactly what they were required to be. Lady
Glyde was confined to her room by nervous illness, and the lumpish
housemaid (I forget her name) was shut up there at night in attendance
on her mistress. Marian, though fast recovering, still kept her bed,
with Mrs. Rubelle for nurse. No other living creatures but my wife,
myself, and Percival were in the house. With all the chances thus in
our favour I confronted the next emergency, and played the second move
in the game.

The object of the second move was to induce Lady Glyde to leave
Blackwater unaccompanied by he