him. Wish mine were stronger, and I had a little more manly pluck; but
he did not see how nervous I was; and, take it altogether, I did not do
so badly."

What time Stratton was pacing his room and talking hurriedly to himself.

"It is horrible," he muttered; "too much for a man to bear. Do I look
so wild?"

He stopped in front of an old Venetian mirror, and scanned his haggard
countenance for a few moments before turning away with a shudder, to
resume his walk up and down the room.

"They could do it," he said fiercely. "I could not help myself. My
conduct would be sufficient plea. A visit from a couple of doctors, and
no matter what I said, I might be taken away. Medical supervision," he
said, with a bitter laugh; "imprisonment till such time as they chose to
set me free. Well, it would be pleasant to be able to throw all
responsibilities upon someone else if one could only cease to think.
But that would be too terrible. I must give up everything and trust to
Guest."

He looked sharply round the room again, and stood listening, for he
fancied that he heard a sound, and, stepping softly to the panel door on
the right of the fireplace, he placed his ear to the woodwork, and stood
listening for some moments.

But he was evidently dissatisfied. He seemed to be trying to make out
whether anyone was in Brettison's room but he was listening at the end
of a passage turned into a closet like his own, and he knew that if the
door at the other end were closed it was in vain.

He came away at last with a quick gesture indicating his discontent, and
stood hesitating for a few minutes, when he again started and looked
wildly toward the fireplace, for he was convinced that he heard sounds
in the next chambers.

They ceased, though, directly, and might have come from above; but he
once more went back to the panel on the right, listened, and came away
dissatisfied still.

"I must know," he said with a heavy sigh; and, taking a bunch of keys
from his pocket, he stood selecting one which looked black and rusty, a
good-sized key, from among those which had been worn smooth and remained
bright.

This done, he stood hesitating; and, looking straight before him, he
shrank slowly backward till checked by a bookcase standing against the
wall, when with an angry gesture that he should have been startled by
the sight of his own ghastly face in the old mirror, he walked straight
to the door on the left of the fireplace. Ag