d least of all
this one. "Give it to him this instant," he cried. "Do you want to kill
him?"

"No, Misteh Julian, that's exactly----"

He drew and levelled his revolver and then motioned with it a repetition
of his command.

With a woe of protest in her eyes, Phyllis obeyed. Lucian swallowed the
draught and sank to his pillow. Julian watched Phyllis slowly set down
the glass and bottle.

"What did you say that stuff is?" he asked his brother, with an assumed
lightness.

"Oh, a palliative for these infernal pains. Have you told the family
what happened? Go do it." The speaker's tone grew lofty. "I want them to
know it was all my fault! This girl can stay with me till you come back,
and you can take your time. I shan't need you for an hour. Go, Jule, my
brother. Oh don't harry me with idle questions."

As Julian presently shut himself out Phyllis, her fears for the patient
disarmed by his transient excitement where she had looked for heaviness,
laid her hand on a chair; but he stopped her. "You white nigger! would
you presume to sit down in my presence? If you can't stand go
outside--and shut the door. Oh, go anyhow! Life's more tolerable with
you out of sight. If I want you I'll call."

The room was close abaft the wheel, where a widening of the guards made
an inviting space, and out there Phyllis drew a chair up beside the
door. A whitejacket came from the cabin in behalf of passengers in
neighboring staterooms to ask what the commotion meant, and as she began
to explain it away Ramsey and old Joy came down a near-by stair to watch
with her or in her stead and to them she amplified her explanation.
Ramsey listened at the door. The patient seemed to be asleep, so audible
was his breathing.

She had a sudden thought: a doctor's saddle-bags always contain
laudanum. Had Phyllis seen any--in another bottle, untouched? That would
confirm the patient's denial. She beckoned and asked. Yes, Phyllis had
seen it, labelled.

"And besides," Ramsey thought on, "neither twin has ever spoken falsely
to the other." Why, then, sleep was good!

Even in outer sights and sounds there was solace and reassurance: in
river and shore forever passing majestically up-stream through floods of
moonlight; in the rhythmic flutter and rush of wheels and foam, and in
the keen quiver of the _Enchantress_ flying to New Orleans on the
swiftest wings steam could give. Ramsey sent Phyllis up to bid Julian be
at ease, and the maid, returning, a