get. After that we should have to--"

Just at this moment the door opened and Miss Trelawny entered the room.
The moment she saw us she drew back quickly, saying:

"Oh, I beg pardon! I did not know you were here, and engaged." By the
time I had stood up, she was about to go back.

"Do come in," I said; "Sergeant Daw and I were only talking matters
over."

Whilst she was hesitating, Mrs. Grant appeared, saying as she entered
the room: "Doctor Winchester is come, miss, and is asking for you."

I obeyed Miss Trelawny's look; together we left the room.

When the Doctor had made his examination, he told us that there was
seemingly no change. He added that nevertheless he would like to stay
in the house that night is he might. Miss Trelawny looked glad, and
sent word to Mrs. Grant to get a room ready for him. Later in the day,
when he and I happened to be alone together, he said suddenly:

"I have arranged to stay here tonight because I want to have a talk
with you. And as I wish it to be quite private, I thought the least
suspicious way would be to have a cigar together late in the evening
when Miss Trelawny is watching her father." We still kept to our
arrangement that either the sick man's daughter or I should be on watch
all night. We were to share the duty at the early hours of the
morning. I was anxious about this, for I knew from our conversation
that the Detective would watch in secret himself, and would be
particularly alert about that time.

The day passed uneventfully. Miss Trelawny slept in the afternoon; and
after dinner went to relieve the Nurse. Mrs. Grant remained with her,
Sergeant Daw being on duty in the corridor. Doctor Winchester and I
took our coffee in the library. When we had lit our cigars he said
quietly:

"Now that we are alone I want to have a confidential talk. We are
'tiled,' of course; for the present at all events?"

"Quite so!" I said, my heart sinking as I thought of my conversation
with Sergeant Daw in the morning, and of the disturbing and harrowing
fears which it had left in my mind. He went on:

"This case is enough to try the sanity of all of us concerned in it.
The more I think of it, the madder I seem to get; and the two lines,
each continually strengthened, seem to pull harder in opposite
directions."

"What two lines?" He looked at me keenly for a moment before replying.
Doctor Winchester's look at such moments was apt to be disconcerting.
It would have