ttempt to murder, would he not
take steps to escape before the law should lay its iron grasp upon him?
All four conspirators are too ignorant of the power of the law to know
whether it would be justifiable in the present circumstances to place
him under arrest, or decide on waiting until Sir Adrian himself shall
be able to pronounce either his doom or his exculpation.

The doctor stays all night, and administers to the exhausted man, as
often as he dares, the nourishment and good things provided by the old
housekeeper.

When the morning is far advanced, Adrian, waking from a short but
refreshing slumber, looks anxiously around him. Florence, seeing this,
steps aside, as though to make way for Dora to go closer to him. But
Mrs. Talbot, covering her face with her hands, turns aside and sinks
into a chair.

Florence, much bewildered by this strange conduct, stands irresolute
beside the bed, hardly knowing what to do. Again she glances at the
prostrate man, and sees his eyes resting upon her with an expression in
them that makes her heart beat rapidly with sweet but sad recollections.

Then a faint voice falls upon her ear. It is so weak that she is obliged
to stoop over him to catch what he is trying to say.

"Darling, I owe you my life!"

With great feebleness he utters these words, accompanying them with a
glance of utter devotion. How can she mistake this glance, so full of
love and rapture? Perplexed in the extreme, she turns from him, as
though to leave him, but by a gesture he detains her.

"Do not leave me! Stay with me!" he entreats.

Once again, deeply distressed, she looks at Dora. Mrs. Talbot, rising,
says distinctly, but with a shamefaced expression--

"Do as he asks you. Believe me, by his side is your proper place, not
mine."

Saying this, she glides quickly from the room, and does not appear again
for several hours.

By luncheon-time it occurs to the guests that Arthur Dynecourt has not
been seen since last evening.

Ringwood, carrying this news to the sick-room, the little rescuing party
and their auxiliaries, the nurse and doctor, lay their heads together,
and decide that, doubtless, having discovered the escape of his
prisoner, and, dreading arrest, Arthur has quietly taken himself off,
and so avoided the trial and punishment which would otherwise have
fallen upon him.

Ringwood is now of opinion that they have acted unwisely in concealing
the discovery of Sir Adrian in the haunted chambe