hat could be done to make the
place comfortable had been done. The whole cruelty of Sir Percival's
deception had fallen on poor Lady Glyde. The only ill-usage which
either he or Mrs. Rubelle had inflicted on Miss Halcombe consisted, so
far as I could see, in the first offence of hiding her away.

I stole back, leaving the sick lady still peacefully asleep, to give
the gardener instructions about bringing the doctor. I begged the man,
after he had taken Mrs. Rubelle to the station, to drive round by Mr.
Dawson's, and leave a message in my name, asking him to call and see
me. I knew he would come on my account, and I knew he would remain
when he found Count Fosco had left the house.

In due course of time the gardener returned, and said that he had
driven round by Mr. Dawson's residence, after leaving Mrs. Rubelle at
the station. The doctor sent me word that he was poorly in health
himself, but that he would call, if possible, the next morning.

Having delivered his message the gardener was about to withdraw, but I
stopped him to request that he would come back before dark, and sit up
that night, in one of the empty bedrooms, so as to be within call in
case I wanted him. He understood readily enough my unwillingness to be
left alone all night in the most desolate part of that desolate house,
and we arranged that he should come in between eight and nine.

He came punctually, and I found cause to be thankful that I had adopted
the precaution of calling him in. Before midnight Sir Percival's
strange temper broke out in the most violent and most alarming manner,
and if the gardener had not been on the spot to pacify him on the
instant, I am afraid to think what might have happened.

Almost all the afternoon and evening he had been walking about the
house and grounds in an unsettled, excitable manner, having, in all
probability, as I thought, taken an excessive quantity of wine at his
solitary dinner. However that may be, I heard his voice calling loudly
and angrily in the new wing of the house, as I was taking a turn
backwards and forwards along the gallery the last thing at night. The
gardener immediately ran down to him, and I closed the door of
communication, to keep the alarm, if possible, from reaching Miss
Halcombe's ears. It was full half an hour before the gardener came
back. He declared that his master was quite out of his senses--not
through the excitement of drink, as I had supposed, but through a ki