igh poisoned by a remarkably clever chemist. But what the drug
and poison were, and who administered it to you, and the motive for
doing so, is more than I can tell you. From what I can learn from the
hotel proprietors, you were brought here from the railway station in a
cab last night by a gentleman who happened to find you in the carriage
in which you travelled down from London. You were in such a curious
condition that I was sent for and this nurse procured. Now you know all
about it."

"What day did you say this is?"

"Saturday, to be sure."

"Saturday!" I cried. "You don't mean that! Then, by Jove, I've missed
the _Saratoga_ after all. Here, let me get up! And tell them downstairs
to send for the Inspector of Police. I have got to get to the bottom of
this."

I sat up in bed, but was only too glad to lie down. I looked at the
doctor.

"How long before you can have me fit to travel?"

"Give yourself three days' rest and quiet," he replied, "and we'll see
what we can do."

"Three days? And two days and a half to cross the Continent, that's five
and a half--say six days. Good! I'll catch the boat in Naples, and then,
Dr. Nikola, if you're aboard, as I suspect, I advise you to look out."

CHAPTER VII

PORT SAID, AND WHAT BEFEL US THERE

Fortunately for me my arrangements fitted in exactly, so that at one
thirty p.m., on the seventh day after my fatal meeting with Dr. Nikola
in the West of England express, I had crossed the Continent, and stood
looking out on the blue waters of Naples Bay. To my right was the hill
of San Martino, behind me that of Capo di Monte, while in the distance,
to the southward, rose the cloud-tipped summit of Vesuvius. The journey
from London is generally considered, I believe, a long and wearisome
one; it certainly proved so to me, for it must be remembered that my
mind was impatient of every delay, while my bodily health was not as yet
recovered.

The first thing to be done on arrival at the terminus was to discover a
quiet hotel; a place where I could rest and recoup during the heat of
the day, and, what was perhaps more important, where I should run no
risk of meeting with Dr. Nikola or his satellites. I had originally
intended calling at the office of the steamship company in order to
explain the reason of my not joining the boat in Plymouth, planning
afterwards to cast about me, among the various hotels, for the Marquis
of Beckenham and Mr. Baxter. But, on second tho