the hot, rainy summer night. He was gone in an instant.

"Quick! quick! Lock the front door!" cried Madeleine, fumbling with the
key. She turned it and darted into the hallway, and fell back, crying
angrily: "Oh, no! there's the back door--and the doctor's office and all
the windows. It's no use! It's no use!" She broke into a storm of sobs.
"You didn't help a bit!" she cried furiously to the other woman. "You
didn't even try to help!"

It was an accusation against which Marietta did not attempt to defend
herself.

CHAPTER XXXV

THE SWAYING BALANCE

Dr. Melton was at the top of the stairs as the other man came bounding
up. "Where in God's name have you been?" he demanded. "Did you start as
soon as my messenger--"

"No messenger came--only 'Stashie just now. I started the instant she--"

"Have you the paper--the contract--whatever it--"

Rankin showed a flash of white in his pocket. "Is she able to sign it?"

"Oh, she _must_! She won't have an instant's peace until she does. She
has been wild because you were so late in--"

Their hurried, broken colloquy was cut short by a nurse who came to Dr.
Melton, saying, "The patient is always asking if the gentleman who is
to--"

"Yes, yes; he is here." The doctor motioned her to precede them. "Go in;
you're needed as a witness."

He held Rankin back an instant at the door. "Remember! No heroics! Just
have the signing done as quickly as possible and get out!" His little
wizened face looked ghastly in the dim light of the hall, but his voice
was firm, and his hand did not tremble.

Rankin followed him into the bedroom, which was filled with a strong
odor of antiseptics. The nurse turned on the electric light, shading it
with her hand so that the light fell only on the lower part of the bed,
leaving Lydia's head in the shadow.

She lay very straight and stark, as though, thought Rankin despairingly,
she were already dead. Her right arm was out over the sheet, her thin
hand nerveless. Her face was very white, her lips swollen and bleeding
as though she had bitten them repeatedly. She was absolutely motionless,
lying on her back with closed eyes. At the slight sound made by the men
in entering, she opened her eyes and looked at them. Every vestige of
color dropped out of Rankin's face. Her eyes were alive, sane,
exalted--Lydia's own eyes again.

He was holding the paper open in his hand, and without a word knelt down
by the bed, offering it to her mutely. Th