ccident as to which he could not explain the cause. "You mean
you will not tell," said the surgeon. "Exactly so. I will not tell.
It is my secret. That I did not do it myself you may judge from the
spot in which I was shot." To this the surgeon assented; and, though
he pressed the question, and said something as to the necessity for
an investigation, he could get no satisfaction. However, he had
learned Daniel's name and address. He was to call on the morrow, and
would then perhaps succeed in learning something of the mystery. "In
the meantime, my darling, I must go to bed, for it seems as though
every bone in my body was sore. I have brought an old woman with me
who is to look after me."

Then she left him, promising that she would come on the morrow and
would nurse him. "Unless they lock me up, I will be here," she said.
Daniel Thwaite thought that in the present circumstances no further
attempt would be made to constrain her actions.

CHAPTER XLV.

THE LAWYERS AGREE.

When a month had passed by a great many people knew how Mr. Daniel
Thwaite had come by the wound in his back, but nobody knew it
"officially." There is a wide difference in the qualities of
knowledge regarding such matters. In affairs of public interest we
often know, or fancy that we know, down to every exact detail, how a
thing has been done,--who have given the bribes and who have taken
them,--who has told the lie and who has pretended to believe it,--who
has peculated and how the public purse has suffered,--who was in
love with such a one's wife and how the matter was detected, then
smothered up, and condoned; but there is no official knowledge, and
nothing can be done. The tailor and the Earl, the Countess and her
daughter, had become public property since the great trial had been
commenced, and many eyes were on them. Before a week had gone by it
was known in every club and in every great drawing-room that the
tailor had been shot in the shoulder,--and it was almost known that
the pistol had been fired by the hands of the Countess. The very
eminent surgeon into whose hands Daniel had luckily fallen did not
press his questions very far when his patient told him that it would
be for the welfare of many people that nothing further should be
asked on the matter. "An accident has occurred," said Daniel, "as to
which I do not intend to say anything further. I can assure you that
no injury has been done beyond that which I suffer." The emine