le went in, and I followed him. She
was sitting at the table, with writing materials scattered before
her; but she was not writing. She had a strange preoccupied air; but
at the sight of Mr. Hale she rose suddenly, and looked at him with a
deadly white face.

'Is she worse?' she asked.

'No, Mrs. Darrell; she is better,' he answered sternly. 'I find that
we have been the dupes of some secret enemy of this dear child's.
There has been an attempt at murder going on under our very eyes.
Poison has been mixed with the medicine sent by me--a slow poison.
Happily for us the poisoner has been a little too cautious for the
success of the crime. The doses administered have been small enough
to leave the chance of recovery. An accident awakened Miss Crofton's
suspicions last night, and she very wisely discontinued the
medicine. I have analysed it since she gave it me, and find that a
certain portion of irritant poison has been mixed with it.'

For some moments after he had finished speaking Mrs. Darrell
remained silent, looking at him fixedly with that awful death-like
face.

'Who can have done such a thing?' she asked at last, in a half-
mechanical way.

'You must be a better judge of that question than I,' answered Mr.
Hale. 'Is there any one in this house inimical to your
stepdaughter?'

'No one, that I know of.'

'We have two duties before us, Mrs. Darrell: the first, to protect
our patient from the possibility of any farther attempt of this
kind; the second, to trace the hand that has done this work. I shall
telegraph to Leeds immediately for a professional nurse, to relieve
Miss Crofton in the care of the sick-room; and I shall communicate
at once with the police, in order that this house may be placed
under surveillance.'

Mrs. Darrell said not a word, either in objection or assent, to
this. She seated herself by the table again, and began trifling idly
with the writing materials before her.

'You will do what is best, of course, Mr. Hale,' she said, after a
long pause; 'you are quite at liberty to act in this matter
according to your own discretion.'

'Thanks; it is a matter in which my responsibility entitles me to a
certain amount of power. I shall telegraph to Dr. Lomond, asking him
to come down to-morrow. Whatever doubt you may entertain of my
judgment will be dispelled when I am supported by his opinion.'

'Of course; but I have not expressed any doubt of your judgment.'

We left her immediately aft