curious combination of expressions.

"Dr. Entrefort," he quietly remarked, "you are the devil."

Bowing profoundly, Entrefort replied: "You do me too great honor;" then
he whispered to his patient: "If you do _that_"--with a motion towards
the hilt--"I will have _her_ hanged for murder."

Arnold started and choked, and a look of horror overspread his face. He
withdrew his hands, took one of mine in both of his, threw his arms
upon the pillow above his head, and, holding my hand, firmly said to
Entrefort,--

"Proceed with your work."

"Come closer, Hippolyte," said Entrefort, "and observe narrowly. Will
you kindly assist me, Dr. Rowell?" That gentleman had sat in wondering
silence.

Entrefort's hand was quick and sure, and he used the knife with
marvellous dexterity. First he made four equidistant incisions outward
from the guard and just through the skin. Arnold held his breath and
ground his teeth at the first cut, but soon regained command of
himself. Each incision was about two inches long. Hippolyte shuddered
and turned his head aside. Entrefort, whom nothing escaped,
exclaimed,--

"Steady, Hippolyte! Observe!"

Quickly was the skin peeled back to the limit of the incisions. This
must have been excruciatingly painful. Arnold groaned, and his hands
were moist and cold. Down sank the knife into the flesh from which the
skin had been raised, and blood flowed freely; Dr. Rowell handled the
sponge. The keen knife worked rapidly. Arnold's marvellous nerve was
breaking down. He clutched my hand fiercely; his eyes danced; his mind
was weakening. Almost in a moment the flesh had been cut away to the
bones, which were now exposed,--two ribs and the sternum. A few quick
cuts cleared the weapon between the guard and the ribs.

"To work, Hippolyte--be quick!"

The machinist had evidently been coached before he came. With slender,
long-fingered hands, which trembled at first, he selected certain tools
with nice precision, made some rapid measurements of the weapon and of
the cleared space around it, and began to adjust the parts of a queer
little machine. Arnold watched him curiously.

"What----" he began to say; but he ceased; a deeper pallor set on his
face, his hands relaxed, and his eyelids fell.

"Thank God!" exclaimed Entrefort; "he has fainted--he can't stop us
now. Quick, Hippolyte!"

The machinist attached the queer little machine to the handle of the
weapon, seized the stiletto in his left hand, and wit