left by yourself."

"Henry is near me--in the next room," she replied. "I would not have a
nurse for the world--I hate and detest nurses."

Soon afterwards she left me. She was very erratic, and before she left
the room she had quite got over her depression. The sun shone out, and
with the gleam of brightness her volatile spirits rose.

"I am going for a drive," she said. "Will you come with me?"

"Not this morning," I replied. "If you ask me to-morrow, I shall be
pleased to accompany you."

"Well, go to Henry," she answered. "Talk to him--find out what ails him,
order tonics for him. Cheer him in every way in your power. You say he
is not ill--not seriously ill--I know better. My impression is that if
my days are numbered, so are his."

She went away, and I sought her husband. As soon as the wheels of her
brougham were heard bowling away over the gravel sweep, we went up
together to his room.

"That eye came twice last night," he said in an awestruck whisper to me.
"I am a doomed man--a doomed man. I cannot bear this any longer."

We were standing in the room as he said the words. Even in broad
daylight, I could see that he glanced round him with apprehension. He
was shaking quite visibly. The room was decidedly old-fashioned, but the
greater part of the furniture was modern. The bed was an Albert one with
a spring mattress, and light, cheerful dimity hangings. The windows were
French--they were wide open, and let in the soft, pleasant air, for the
day was truly a spring one in winter. The paper on the walls was light.

"This is a quaint old wardrobe," I said. "It looks out of place with the
rest of the furniture. Why don't you have it removed?"

[Illustration: "DON'T GO NEAR IT--I DREAD IT!"]

"Hush," he said, with a gasp. "Don't go near it--I dread it, I have
locked it. It is always in that direction that the apparition appears.
The apparition seems to grow out of the glass of the wardrobe. It always
appears in that one spot."

"I see," I answered. "The wardrobe is built into the wall. That is the
reason it cannot be removed. Have you got the key about you?"

He fumbled in his pocket, and presently produced a bunch of keys.

"I wish you wouldn't open the wardrobe," he said. "I frankly admit that
I dislike having it touched."

"All right," I replied. "I will not examine it while you are in the
room. You will perhaps allow me to keep the key?"

"Certainly! You can take it from the bunch, if you wish.