n ill? Was I taken ill?"

"Yes, dear; but you are nearly well now. Do you remember Mr Heath
coming? Try and remember, dear."

Poynter's face grew convulsed and angry, and he seemed to be looking
about for some moral weapon with which to attack his enemy, but
contented himself with a whisk of his handkerchief across his hat.

"Heath, dear? This is Mr Heath, you say--Heath?" and the doctor's face
grew troubled.

"Yes, yes. Do you remember his coming to see you?"

The doctor looked from one to the other, and shook his head.

"Oh, father, dear father, for my sake try!" cried Rich. "Do you not
remember his coming to you?"

The doctor put his hand to his head, and looked wildly round.

"No," he said at last. "No, I don't think I have seen Mr Heath
before;" but the wild look was still in his eyes.

"Don't say that, doctor," said Mark, taking his hand. "You have
forgotten. Don't you remember? That dreadful foggy night. I came to
you, and you let me into the surgery?"

"Yes, dear, you recollect," cried Rich, piteously.

"I was utterly exhausted, and worn out--very much excited," continued
Mark. "You took me into the consulting-room, and I lay down upon the
sofa. You gave me brandy, and some narcotic."

"Brandy and a narcotic," said the doctor, smiling; "rather a strange
mixture. Did I?"

"Yes; you recollect now?" said Mark eagerly.

The doctor looked at him intently, and then at Rich; but ended by
shaking his head slowly.

"No," he said, "I do not recollect."

"All this is maddening!" muttered Mark, "just when one's hopes were
reviving, and there was a chance of discovering something. Doctor," he
continued excitedly, "try and recollect."

"Yes, dear, for Mark Heath's sake try," continued Rich; and Poynter
ground his teeth, as he felt what he would give to evoke the same
interest for himself.

"I will try, my love," said the doctor blandly. "Of course."

"Then you remember I told you I had just come from the Cape; that I had
a bag of diamonds in my breast?"

Poynter uttered a sneering laugh, which made Heath wince, and turn upon
him wrathfully.

"Diamonds? did you say a bag of diamonds?" said the doctor.

"Yes, yes; you remember."

"Was it not a very unsafe place to carry diamonds?"

"Yes, of course it was; but I could trust no one but myself! You
remember then, doctor?"

Dr Chartley paused for a few moments, and shook his head again.

"No," he said blandly, "I do not remember.