ut farther parley, I sat down to my
self-appointed, loathed, and detested task, first quietly dismissing
Dinah to the next room, where Ernie was eating his supper, and I knew
would soon be wanting to be put to bed. We changed places for a time,
and it was not long before Mrs. Clayton pronounced the pain, in her eyes
"almost gone." The experiment was a desperate one, and I bore to it all
the powers of my organization--mental and physical--and had the
satisfaction in less than an hour to see her sleeping profoundly. She
had been failing fast under her painful vigils, and I knew that a few
hours of refreshing sleep would be worth to her more than all the drugs
in the Pharmacopoeia. Now came the test which was to make this slumber
worth nothing or every thing to me. If she could be awakened from it
without my coincidence, it would prove, perhaps, only a snare to my
feet, but if her waking depended on my will, then might I indeed hope to
baffle my Dragon, and, as far as she was concerned, make sure of my
escape. I willed then earnestly that she should sleep until twelve
o'clock; and at ten, when Dinah became impatient to retire, I gave her
permission, in order to gain egress to try and arouse Mrs. Clayton.

In consequence of this immurement of our servant, I had remained
supperless--beyond the crusts of bread left by Ernie and some cold tea
in Mrs. Clayton's teapot, of which I partook with an appetite born of
exhaustion. Those who have undertaken this "laying on of hands," for the
purpose of soothing pain, will comprehend what the succeeding sensation
of nerveless prostration is--those only--and give me their sympathy.

From her errand to arouse our sleeper in quest of the key, of course
Dinah returned disconsolate. Greatly to my satisfaction, she stated that
it was "out ob de question to try to git her eyes open. Why honey," she
pursued, "ef I didn't know what a steady-goin' Christian creetur she
was, I mout suppose she had bin 'bibin' of whisky or peach-brandy--dat's
de sleepiest stuff goin', chile; but I does believe she has the fallin'
fits, caze, even wen I pulled open one corner of her eyes, dey was
rolled clean back in her head. Mebbe she's dyin', chile, an' ef she
is--but no!" she muttered, "dat ole creetur down-stairs nebber leaves
dem back-doors opun one minute, you had better believe, even ef he
happens to turn his back a spell, an' it would be no use tryin' to git
out ob de 'stablishment dat way, but I knows whar