rough the shadowy darkness of the room, and fired twice. When I rose
out of my chair, with my face swathed in the respirator, he took me for
the cause of the trouble. Naturally enough, he was about to fire
again, when I was fortunately in time to manifest my identity. Mr.
Trelawny was lying beside the safe, just as he was found last night;
and was bleeding profusely from the new wound in his wrist. We lifted
him on the sofa, and made a tourniquet. That is, literally and
absolutely, all that any of us know as yet. We have not touched the
knife, which you see lies close by the pool of blood. Look!" I said,
going over and lifting it. "The point is red with the blood which has
dried."

Doctor Winchester stood quite still a few minutes before speaking:

"Then the doings of this night are quite as mysterious as those of last
night?"

"Quite!" I answered. He said nothing in reply, but turning to Miss
Trelawny said:

"We had better take Nurse Kennedy into another room. I suppose there
is nothing to prevent it?"

"Nothing! Please, Mrs. Grant, see that Nurse Kennedy's room is ready;
and ask two of the men to come and carry her in." Mrs. Grant went out
immediately; and in a few minutes came back saying:

"The room is quite ready; and the men are here." By her direction two
footmen came into the room and, lifting up the rigid body of Nurse
Kennedy under the supervision of the Doctor, carried her out of the
room. Miss Trelawny remained with me in the sick chamber, and Mrs.
Grant went with the Doctor into the Nurse's room.

When we were alone Miss Trelawny came over to me, and taking both my
hands in hers, said:

"I hope you won't remember what I said. I did not mean it, and I was
distraught." I did not make reply; but I held her hands and kissed
them. There are different ways of kissing a lady's hands. This way
was intended as homage and respect; and it was accepted as such in the
high-bred, dignified way which marked Miss Trelawny's bearing and every
movement. I went over to the sofa and looked down at the senseless
man. The dawn had come much nearer in the last few minutes, and there
was something of the clearness of day in the light. As I looked at the
stern, cold, set face, now as white as a marble monument in the pale
grey light, I could not but feel that there was some deep mystery
beyond all that had happened within the last twenty-six hours. Those
beetling brows screened some massive purpose; tha