ucceeded
in inducing the patient to take a few drops of what she held to her
lips, busied herself with some things upon a small table near the
chair; then she left the room.

There was a pause; no movement came from the room whatsoever. Bat
fancied that the sick girl had gone to sleep; but this thought had no
sooner taken shape in his mind than he saw her stir. Then she arose
slowly in the chair, and sat, apparently listening, her manner
surprisingly alert. Only a few moments ago she had shown every sign of
exhaustion; now her strength was unquestioned, for her body was firmly
held and her grip upon the arms of the chair was sure.

There came a little gasp from Nora crouching behind the rose arbor.

"Surprised!" thought Bat. "And no wonder! I'm just a little bit that way
myself."

Mary Burton threw back the blanket in which she was swathed, and stood
up. She wore a long dressing gown, tied about the waist; from a pocket
of this she took something, and then after a moment of listening
approached an old mahogany high-boy, unlocked and opened a drawer and
looked into it. Almost at once it was slid back into place and relocked;
the girl stood poised for an instant, as though not sure as to what her
next movement would be; then she went tiptoeing to the door, opened it,
and disappeared.

Nora drew a long breath; and Scanlon, as he stood, amazed, felt like
echoing it. But the next instant all that which had happened in the
sitting-room, surprising as it had been, was wiped from his mind. From
outside there came a low-pitched voice, that of old Bohlmier:

"Do not make some noise!" it said. A gasp came from Nora, a gasp which
would have been a scream if fear had not suppressed it. "I will talk a
little with you, if you blease."

There was an instant's silence; Bat pressed hard against the trellis
work of the arbor--only a few inches separated him from the girl
outside, and he could hear her breath catching sharply in her throat as
she spoke.

"Who are you?"

"We will nod speak of that," said the Swiss. "Only we will talk of
things that interesting are."

This seemed to have a tonic effect upon Nora; when she answered her
breathing had become almost normal; her voice was strong and held some
confidence.

"I know you now," she said. "I saw you the other night."

Old Bohlmier chuckled.

"Ach! yes, the other night. You saw me, yes, but you spoke to me not!
Now it will the other way be. Eh?"

"What do you want?"