d something about making inquiries to-night; and
finally all three went out together, leaving me in a wretched state of
anxiety and doubt.

It seemed to me that none of them at all understood the situation, and
it was so wonderfully clear, in my own mind, so enormous and astounding
in its menace, that I was woefully puzzled to see how they could have
missed it. But I was to learn no more until the following day, when,
lying in bed, stiff and sore, with every muscle in my arms and
shoulders aching, father came in with that unwontedly grave and puzzled
face that the poor dear had worn so often since the beginning of the
whole miserable experience.

The detective and police had been to the Spanish Woman's house, he
said, and had interviewed her. She had told them quite frankly that
she had indeed sent for me to come to her, and had implored me not to
give the evidence which I was expected to give; because she said she
fully believed it to be false--that the pistol I had thought I had seen
in Johnny Montgomery's hand must have been a fancy of mine, and that
she could not bear to have such damaging testimony given so recklessly.
She had thought, so she said, that being a woman she might perhaps know
better how to elicit the real facts of the case from me, since the
men,--lawyers, police officers and even my father,--might very well
have frightened away my memory by their manner of going about it. But
when I had been so obstinate, she said, she had lost her head and
become angry, and that had frightened me. She said she had tried in
every way to reassure me; but I had resisted all her offers of
hospitality, and finally, becoming hysterical, had struck a glass of
wine which she had offered me, out of her hand, and rushed out of the
room, before she could stop me or even discover why I had so suddenly
fled.

Mr. Dingley, father went on, had explained that he had been waiting for
me, as he had said he would, down-stairs; but at the moment when I had
come he had not been in the _sala_.

I could only stare at father. These didn't seem to be at all the same
experiences which I had been through so short a time before; and yet,
when I considered, I couldn't contradict a thing. The incidents were
there, but somehow they all sounded perfectly harmless. I felt
bewildered. Beside these mild-looking facts my actions seemed those of
a madwoman.

Furthermore, father went on, Mr. Dingley had said that when he went
through the