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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; that high, broad forehead held some

finished train of reasoning, which the broad chin and massive jaw would

help to carry into effect. As I looked and wondered, there began to

steal over me again that phase of wandering thought which had last night

heralded the approach of sleep. I resisted it, and held myself sternly

to the present. This was easier to do when Miss Trelawny came close to

me, and, leaning her forehead against my shoulder, began to cry

silently. Then all the manhood in me woke, and to present purpose. It

was of little use trying to speak; words were inadequate to thought. But

we understood each other; she did not draw away when I put arm

protectingly over her shoulder as I used to do with my little sister

long ago when in her childish trouble she would come to her big brother

to be comforted. That very act or attitude of protection made me more

resolute in my purpose, and seemed to clear my brain of idle, dreamy

wandering in thought. With an instinct of greater protection, however,

I took away my arm as I heard the Doctor’s footstep outside the door.

 

When Doctor Winchester came in he looked intently at the patient before

speaking. His brows were set, and his mouth was a thin, hard line.

Presently he said:

 

“There is much in common between the sleep of your Father and Nurse

Kennedy. Whatever influence has brought it about has probably worked the

same way in both cases. In Kennedy’s case the coma is less marked. I

cannot but feel, however, that with her we may be able to do more and

more quickly than with this patient, as our hands are not tied. I have

placed her in a draught; and already she shows some signs, though very

faint ones, of ordinary unconsciousness. The rigidity of her limbs is

less, and her skin seems more sensitive—or perhaps I should say less

insensitive—to pain.”

 

“How is it, then,” I asked, “that Mr. Trelawny is still in this state of

insensibility; and yet, so far as we know, his body has not had such

rigidity at all?”

 

“That I cannot answer. The problem is one which we may solve in a few

hours; or it may need a few days. But it will be a useful lesson in

diagnosis to us all; and perhaps to many and many others after us, who

knows!” he added, with the genuine fire of an enthusiast.

 

As the morning wore on, he flitted perpetually between the two rooms,

watching anxiously over both patients. He made Mrs. Grant remain with

the Nurse, but either Miss Trelawny or I, generally both of us, remained

with the wounded man. We each managed, however, to get bathed and

dressed; the Doctor and Mrs. Grant remained with Mr. Trelawny whilst we

had breakfast.

 

Sergeant Daw went off to report at Scotland Yard the progress of the

night; and then to the local station to arrange for the coming of his

comrade, Wright, as fixed with Superintendent Dolan. When he returned I

could not but think that he had been hauled over the coals for shooting

in a sick-room; or perhaps for shooting at all without certain and

proper cause. His remark to me enlightened me in the matter:

 

“A good character is worth something, sir, in spite of what some of them

say. See! I’ve still got leave to carry my revolver.”

 

That day was a long and anxious one. Toward nightfall Nurse Kennedy so

far improved that the rigidity of her limbs entirely disappeared. She

still breathed quietly and regularly; but the fixed expression of her

face, though it was a calm enough expression, gave place to fallen

eyelids and the negative look of sleep. Doctor Winchester had, towards

evening, brought two more nurses, one of whom was to remain with Nurse

Kennedy and the other to share in the watching with Miss Trelawny, who

had insisted on remaining up herself. She had, in order to prepare for

the duty, slept for several hours in the afternoon. We had all taken

counsel together, and had arranged thus for the watching in Mr.

Trelawny’s room. Mrs. Grant was to remain beside the patient till

twelve, when Miss Trelawny would relieve her. The new nurse was to sit

in Miss Trelawny’s room, and to visit the sick chamber each quarter of

an hour. The Doctor would remain till twelve; when I was to relieve

him. One or other of the detectives was to remain within hail of the

room all night; and to pay periodical visits to see that all was well.

Thus, the watchers would be watched; and the possibility of such events

as last night, when the watchers were both overcome, would be avoided.

 

When the sun set, a strange and grave anxiety fell on all of us; and in

our separate ways we prepared for the vigil. Doctor Winchester had

evidently been thinking of my respirator, for he told me he would go out

and get one. Indeed, he took to the idea so kindly that I persuaded

Miss Trelawny also to have one which she could put on when her time for

watching came.

 

And so the night drew on.

Chapter V More Strange Instructions

When I came from my room at half-past eleven o’clock I found all well in

the sick-room. The new nurse, prim, neat, and watchfull, sat in the

chair by the bedside where Nurse Kennedy had sat last night. A little

way off, between the bed and the safe, sat Dr. Winchester alert and

wakeful, but looking strange and almost comic with the respirator over

mouth and nose. As I stood in the doorway looking at them I heard a

slight sound; turning round I saw the new detective, who nodded, held up

the finger of silence and withdrew quietly. Hitherto no one of the

watchers was overcome by sleep.

 

I took a chair outside the door. As yet there was no need for me to

risk coming again under the subtle influence of last night. Naturally

my thoughts went revolving round the main incidents of the last day and

night, and I found myself arriving at strange conclusions, doubts,

conjectures; but I did not lose myself, as on last night, in trains of

thought. The sense of the present was ever with me, and I really felt

as should a sentry on guard. Thinking is not a slow process; and when

it is earnest the time can pass quickly. It seemed a very short time

indeed till the door, usually left ajar, was pulled open and Dr.

Winchester emerged, taking off his respirator as he came. His act, when

he had it off, was demostrative of his keenness. He turned up the

outside of the wrap and smelled it carefully.

 

“I am going now,” he said. “I shall come early in the morning; unless,

of course, I am sent for before. But all seems well tonight.”

 

The next to appear was Sergeant Daw, who went quietly into the room and

took the seat vacated by the Doctor. I still remained outside; but

every few minutes looked into the room. This was rather a form than a

matter of utility, for the room was so dark that coming even from the

dimly-lighted corridor it was hard to distinguish anything.

 

A little before twelve o’clock Miss Trelawny came from her room. Before

coming to her father’s she went into that occupied by Nurse Kennedy.

After a couple of minutes she came out, looking, I thought, a trifle

more cheerful. She had her respirator in her hand, but before putting

it on, asked me if anything special had occurred since she had gone to

lie down. I answered in a whisper—there was no loud talking in the

house tonight—that all was safe, was well. She then put on her

respirator, and I mine; and we entered the room. The Detective and the

Nurse rose up, and we took their places. Sergeant Daw was the last to

go out; he closed the door behind him as we had arranged.

 

For a while I sat quiet, my heart beating. The place was grimly dark.

The only light was a faint one from the top of the lamp which threw a

white circle on the high ceiling, except the emerald sheen of the shade

as the light took its under edges. Even the light only seemed to

emphasize the blackness of the shadows. These presently began to seem,

as on last night, to have a sentience of their own. I did not myself

feel in the least sleepy; and each time I went softly over to look at

the patient, which I did about every ten minutes, I could see that Miss

Trelawny was keenly alert. Every quarter of an hour one or other of the

policemen looked in through the partly opened door. Each time both Miss

Trelawny and I said through our mufflers, “all right,” and the door was

closed again.

 

As the time wore on, the silence and the darkness seemed to increase.

The circle of light on the ceiling was still there, but it seemed less

brilliant than at first. The green edging of the lamp-shade became like

Maori greenstone rather than emerald. The sounds of the night without

the house, and the starlight spreading pale lines along the edges of the

window-cases, made the pall of black within more solemn and more

mysterious.

 

We heard the clock in the corridor chiming the quarters with its silver

bell till two o’clock; and then a strange feeling came over me. I could

see from Miss Trelawny’s movement as she looked round, that she also had

some new sensation. The new detective had just looked in; we two were

alone with the unconscious patient for another quarter of an hour.

 

My heart began to beat wildly. There was a sense of fear over me. Not

for myself; my fear was impersonal. It seemed as though some new person

had entered the room, and that a strong intelligence was awake close to

me. Something brushed against my leg. I put my hand down hastily and

touched the furry coat of Silvio. With a very faint far-away sound of a

snarl he turned and scratched at me. I felt blood on my hand. I rose

gently and came over to the bedside. Miss Trelawny, too, had stood up

and was looking behind her, as though there was something close to her.

Her eyes were wild, and her breast rose and fell as though she were

fighting for air. When I touched her she did not seem to feel me; she

worked her hands in front of her, as though she was fending off

something.

 

There was not an instant to lose. I

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