ree,
four, five--slowly, more slowly still, so as to make sixty counts equal
a minute. One never could do that, one always went too fast. She had
counted three sixties when the front door closed below and returning
footsteps mounted the stairs. One flight, two flights ... the key
rasped, the boards creaked, she heard Sartorius saying:

"You see now, that is the sort of thing one must be prepared for.
Suppose no one had been here? Those asses would have gone back to the
agent's and got a key, or else some fellow from the office would have
come back with them to show them the house. Just the same, I want you
to telephone the estate office that I've changed my mind about
sub-letting."

He was now at her side. Would he notice anything wrong?

"She's about to come to. I thought that dose wouldn't last long."

She heard him pick up the needle. Now ... what was happening? Was he
examining it? ... An agonising pain in her upper arm reassured her.
She was prepared for it to hurt worse than an ordinary injection, plain
water did. She bore the torture without a quiver, holding her breath
until she heard the doctor move away.

Suddenly Holliday burst out again with an edge of nervous apprehension
in his voice.

"See here, Sartorius. What about that chemist? He knows. What if he
goes to the police?"

The doctor gave a disparaging grunt.

"What does he know? Merely that an American nurse brought him a needle
to be analysed and gave the Villa Firenze as her address. Very likely
he would never think of doing anything; it is no business of his. But
if he did, what could he prove? Why, nothing at all. There is no
evidence whatever. If this thing ever got into court, I could suggest
that the woman was mentally unbalanced, suffering from the delusions
which cause intent to injure. I can prove that the nurse had access to
the laboratory; it would be easy to make a jury believe that she put
the toxin in the syringe herself, with the insane idea of making
trouble for me. If she's not to be found, I should not have much
difficulty in getting away with that theory. But it will never come to
that."

"You seem devilish sure, but all the same----"

"Rubbish--if both Clifford and the girl are dead, who remains to bring
a charge? Assuming the worst, I do not know that I'd have much to fear
from a French jury with Therese Clifford facing them. No, the girl
here is our one weak spot, and by the day after to-morrow