nstrance, as though he thought his companion in
his last speech and action had gone too far. "You are forgetting an
important item, sir--your fee."

"I want no fee, and will take none! Show me to the door, I say!"

He turned toward the doorway. By himself he would have stumbled up the
stairs down which he had been enticed; but the elder man seized him by
the shoulder. He spoke now in a tone almost as courteous as that which
he had just used had been insulting.

"Your pardon! A moment, sir, if you please. You were called here----"

"Trapped here!" interposed the Doctor angrily.

"Well, well"--the other spoke blandly, soothingly, as though to a
restive child--"trapped here, if you will. A word--what does it matter?
Permit me to finish. There are two things to do, sir, and you have done
but one."

"I will do nothing more!"

George Brudenell was thoroughly master of himself again now, and he
flung off the hand upon his shoulder. The young man moved and stood
between him and the door, and the elder resumed coolly:

"A difficult thing, since it has something like death to answer
for"--with a glance at the senseless disfigured form upon the couch;
"but an easy thing--a mere bagatelle to a man such as you--a skillful
chemist, a practiced handler of chemicals. Monsieur, you will do what
yonder bungler failed to do--you will, if you please, combine these
chemicals."

"I will not!" The Doctor's temper was roused; the thought that he had
been so tricked made him forget the danger he was in. He spoke without
any signs of fear now, and faced the pair. Comprehension he had not,
but suspicion he had, and he spoke it out hardily. "I will not!" he
repeated. "Whatever villainy it is that you perpetrate here, I will
have no hand in it. To whatever atrocious use it is that you design to
put the things you speak of, I say that I am glad that they have turned
upon one scoundrel at least. It is useless to put these chemicals
before me--I swear that I will not touch them! I would sooner cut off
my right hand!"

"_Ma foi_, monsieur"--again the elder man smiled!--"you are likely, if
you remain obstinate, to lose more than that! Come--consider,
sir,--reflect. You are helpless, and we are impatient; your summer
nights are short, and we have much to do. Come, then--speak!"

"Ah," cried the younger man suddenly, but in the suppressed tones which
both seemed to use habitually--"Hush!"

Doctor Brudenell had heard nothing--could hear noth