was lodging with some people in the neighbourhood whom Mrs. Gould
knew. In the manner here indicated I obtained the Narratives of the
housekeeper, of the doctor, of Jane Gould, and of Hester Pinhorn,
exactly as they are presented in these pages.

Furnished with such additional evidence as these documents afforded, I
considered myself to be sufficiently prepared for a consultation with
Mr. Kyrle, and Marian wrote accordingly to mention my name to him, and
to specify the day and hour at which I requested to see him on private
business.

There was time enough in the morning for me to take Laura out for her
walk as usual, and to see her quietly settled at her drawing
afterwards. She looked up at me with a new anxiety in her face as I
rose to leave the room, and her fingers began to toy doubtfully, in the
old way, with the brushes and pencils on the table.

"You are not tired of me yet?" she said. "You are not going away
because you are tired of me? I will try to do better--I will try to get
well. Are you as fond of me, Walter as you used to be, now I am so
pale and thin, and so slow in learning to draw?"

She spoke as a child might have spoken, she showed me her thoughts as a
child might have shown them. I waited a few minutes longer--waited to
tell her that she was dearer to me now than she had ever been in the
past times. "Try to get well again," I said, encouraging the new hope
in the future which I saw dawning in her mind, "try to get well again,
for Marian's sake and for mine."

"Yes," she said to herself, returning to her drawing. "I must try,
because they are both so fond of me." She suddenly looked up again.
"Don't be gone long! I can't get on with my drawing, Walter, when you
are not here to help me."

"I shall soon be back, my darling--soon be back to see how you are
getting on."

My voice faltered a little in spite of me. I forced myself from the
room. It was no time, then, for parting with the self-control which
might yet serve me in my need before the day was out.

As I opened the door, I beckoned to Marian to follow me to the stairs.
It was necessary to prepare her for a result which I felt might sooner
or later follow my showing myself openly in the streets.

"I shall, in all probability, be back in a few hours," I said, "and you
will take care, as usual, to let no one inside the doors in my absence.
But if anything happens----"

"What can happen?" she interposed quickly. "Tell me plain