nothing. His face remained pale and his fingers still
trembled. There was now no doubt at all in his mind, not only as to
Vimpany's intentions, but as to the crime itself. He dared not speak or
move.

A ring at the door pealed through the house. Lord Harry started in his
chair with a cry of terror.

"That," said the doctor, quietly, "is the nurse--the new nurse---the
stranger." He took off the handkerchief from Oxbye's face, looked about
the room as if careful that everything should be in its right place,
and went out to admit the woman. Lord Harry sprang to his feet and
passed his hand over the sick man's face.

"Is it done?" he whispered. "Can the man be poisoned? Is he already
dead?--already? Before my eyes?"

He laid his finger on the sick man's pulse. But the doctor's step and
voice stopped him. Then the nurse came in, following Vimpany. She was
an elderly, quiet-looking French woman.

Lord Harry remained standing at the side of the sofa, hoping to see the
man revive.

"Now," said Vimpany, cheerfully, "here is your patient, nurse. He is
asleep now. Let him have his sleep out--he has taken his medicine and
will want nothing more yet awhile. If you want anything let me know. We
shall be in the next room or in the garden--somewhere about the house.
Come, my friend." He drew away Lord Harry gently by the arm, and they
left the room.

Behind the curtain Fanny Mere began to wonder how she was to get off
unseen.

The nurse, left alone, looked at her patient, who lay with his head
turned partly round, his eyes closed, his mouth open. "A strange
sleep," she murmured; "but the doctor knows, I suppose. He is to have
his sleep out."

"A strange sleep, indeed!" thought the watcher. She was tempted at this
moment to disclose herself and to reveal what she had seen; but the
thought of Lord Harry's complicity stopped her. With what face could
she return to her mistress and tell her that she herself was the means
of her husband being charged with murder? She stayed herself,
therefore, and waited.

Chance helped her, at last, to escape.

The nurse took off her bonnet and shawl and began to look about the
room. She stepped to the bed and examined the sheets and pillow-case as
a good French housewife should. Would she throw back the curtain? If
so--what would happen next? Then it would become necessary to take the
new nurse into confidence, otherwise----Fanny did not put the
remainder of this sentence into words. It r