; presently
we all four, stepping together, lifted the unconscious man from the
sofa.

Early in the afternoon, when Sergeant Daw had returned, I called at my
rooms in Jermyn Street, and sent out such clothes, books and papers as
I should be likely to want within a few days. Then I went on to keep
my legal engagements.

The Court sat late that day as an important case was ending; it was
striking six as I drove in at the gate of the Kensington Palace Road.
I found myself installed in a large room close to the sick chamber.

That night we were not yet regularly organised for watching, so that
the early part of the evening showed an unevenly balanced guard. Nurse
Kennedy, who had been on duty all day, was lying down, as she had
arranged to come on again by twelve o'clock. Doctor Winchester, who
was dining in the house, remained in the room until dinner was
announced; and went back at once when it was over. During dinner Mrs.
Grant remained in the room, and with her Sergeant Daw, who wished to
complete a minute examination which he had undertaken of everything in
the room and near it. At nine o'clock Miss Trelawny and I went in to
relieve the Doctor. She had lain down for a few hours in the afternoon
so as to be refreshed for her work at night. She told me that she had
determined that for this night at least she would sit up and watch. I
did not try to dissuade her, for I knew that her mind was made up.
Then and there I made up my mind that I would watch with her--unless,
of course, I should see that she really did not wish it. I said
nothing of my intentions for the present. We came in on tiptoe, so
silently that the Doctor, who was bending over the bed, did not hear
us, and seemed a little startled when suddenly looking up he saw our
eyes upon him. I felt that the mystery of the whole thing was getting
on his nerves, as it had already got on the nerves of some others of
us. He was, I fancied, a little annoyed with himself for having been
so startled, and at once began to talk in a hurried manner as though to
get over our idea of his embarrassment:

"I am really and absolutely at my wits' end to find any fit cause for
this stupor. I have made again as accurate an examination as I know
how, and I am satisfied that there is no injury to the brain, that is,
no external injury. Indeed, all his vital organs seem unimpaired. I
have given him, as you know, food several times and it has manifestly
done him good.