ine; would that I could spare you! But circumstances forbid. You
know and I know that your aunt did not die of apoplexy."

She gave a violent start, and her lips parted. If the hand under his
clasp had been cold, it was now icy. He let his own slip from the
contact.

"You know!" she echoed, trembling and pallid, her released hand flying
instinctively to her hair.

"Yes; you need not feel about for the little box. I took it from its
hiding-place when I laid you fainting on the bed. Here it is."

He drew it from his pocket and showed it to her. She hardly glanced at
it; her eyes were fixed in terror on his face, and her lips seemed to be
trying in vain to formulate some inquiry.

He tried to be merciful.

"I missed it many hours ago from the shelf yonder where you all saw me
place it. Had I known that you had taken it, I would have repeated to
you how deadly were the contents, and how dangerous it was to handle the
vial or to let others handle it, much less to put it to the lips."

She started, and instinctively her form rose to its full height.

"Have you looked in that little box since you took it from my hair?" she
asked.

"Yes."

"Then you know it to be empty?"

For answer he pressed the spring, and the little lid flew open.

"It is not empty now, you see." Then more slowly and with infinite
meaning: "But the little flask is."

She brought her hands together and faced him with a noble dignity which
at once put the interview on a different footing.

"Where was this vial found?" she demanded.

He found it difficult to answer. They seemed to have exchanged
positions. When he did speak it was in a low tone, and with less
confidence than he had shown before.

"In the bed with the old lady. I saw it there myself. Mr. Worthington
was with me. Nobody else knows anything about it. I wish to give you an
opportunity to explain. I begin to think you can--but how, God only
knows. The box was hidden in your hair from early evening. I saw your
hand continually fluttering toward it all the time we were dancing in
the parlour."

She did not lose an iota of her dignity or pride.

"You are right," she said. "I put it there as soon as I took it from the
cabinet. I could think of no safer hiding-place. Yes, I took it," she
acknowledged, as she saw the flush rise to his cheek. "I took it; but
with no worse motive than the dishonest one of having for my own an
object which bewitched me. I was hardly myself when I snat