he was now
thankful that Mrs. Wadislaw was away. "She gets so anxious and
frightened over father's 'spells,' though he always comes out of them
well," he reflected; then did what he remembered to have seen her do
on similar occasions. He helped his father to the lounge, loosened his
collar, bathed his head, and administered a few drops of a restorative
kept near at hand.

In a few moments the banker sat up again and remarked:

"It is queer that no doctor can stop these attacks. I never quite lose
consciousness, or rather I seem to be somebody else. I have an impulse
to do things I would not do at other times--yet what these things are
I do not clearly remember when the attack passes. But I always feel
better for some days after them. For that reason I do not dread them
as I would, otherwise. Strange, that a man has to lose his senses in
order to regain them! A paradox, but a fact."

"Do you have them as often as formerly?"

"Oftener, I think. They are irregular. I may feel one coming on again
within a few hours or it may not be for weeks. The trouble is that I
may be stricken some time more severely and fall senseless in some
unsafe place."

"Don't fear about that, father. I am at home again, you know, and
shall keep you well in sight. If you would only give up business and
go away to Europe, or somewhere. Take a long rest. You might recover
entirely then and enjoy a ripe old age."

"I can't afford it, lad. If those stolen bonds--but what's the use of
recalling them? Your talk has brought my loss so freshly before me. I
wish you hadn't asked me about it. However, it's done, and it's late.
Let's get to bed. I must be early at the bank, to-morrow. The builders
are coming to look things over and estimate on the cost of safe
deposit vaults in the basement. Ours is one of the oldest buildings in
the city and every inch of space has increased in value since it was
put up. The waste room of that basement should bring us in a princely
income, if the inspector will give the permit to construct the vaults.
My head must be clear in the morning, if ever, and I must rest now.
Good-night."

Adrian saw his father to his room and sought his own, resolving to be
present at the next day's interview with the builders, and to give
the banker his own most watchful care. But his thoughts soon returned
to the startling knowledge he had gained concerning Margot's history,
and when he fell asleep, at last, it was to dream of a prison o