eave the room, but was
stopped by her loving cry; he came back and leaned over her.

"What is it, father? You are fatigued, worried--"

"No, no, quite well," he hastily assured her. "But you! are you as well
as you seem?"

"Indeed, yes. I am gaining every day. See! see! I shall soon be able to
sit up. Yesterday I read a few words."

He started, with a side glance at me which took in a table near by on
which a little book was lying.

"Oh, a book?"

"Yes, and--and Arthur's letters."

The father flushed, lifted himself, patted her arm tenderly and hastened
into another room.

Miss Grey's eyes followed him longingly, and I heard her give utterance
to a soft sigh. A few hours before, this would have conveyed to
my suspicious mind deep and mysterious meanings; but I was seeing
everything now in a different light, and I found myself no longer
inclined either to exaggerate or to misinterpret these little marks of
filial solicitude. Trying to rejoice over the present condition of my
mind, I was searching in the hidden depths of my nature for the patience
of which I stood in such need, when every thought and feeling were again
thrown into confusion by the receipt of another communication from the
inspector, in which he stated that something had occurred to bring
the authorities round to my way of thinking and that the test with the
stiletto was to be made at once.

Could the irony of fate go further! I dropped the letter half read,
querying if it were my duty to let the inspector know of the flaw I had
discovered in my own theory, before I proceeded with the attempt I had
suggested when I believed in its complete soundness. I had not settled
the question when I took the letter up again. Re-reading its opening
sentence, I was caught by the word "something." It was a very indefinite
one, yet was capable of covering a large field. It must cover a large
field, or it could not have produced such a change in the minds of these
men, conservative from principle and in this instance from discretion. I
would be satisfied with that word something and quit further thinking. I
was weary of it. The inspector was now taking the initiative, and I
was satisfied to be his simple instrument and no more. Arrived at this
conclusion, however, I read the rest of the letter. The test was to go
on, but under different conditions. It was no longer to be made at my
own discretion and in the up-stairs room; it was to be made at luncheon
hour and