in Mr. Grey's private dining-room, where, if by any chance
Mr. Grey found himself outraged by the placing of this notorious weapon
beside his plate, the blame could be laid on the waiter, who, mistaking
his directions, had placed it on Mr. Grey's table when it was meant for
Inspector Dalzell's, who was lunching in the adjoining room. It was I,
however, who was to do the placing. With what precautions and under what
circumstances will presently appear.

Fortunately, the hour set was very near. Otherwise I do not know how I
could have endured the continued strain of gazing on my patient's sweet
face, looking up at me from her pillow, with a shadow over its beauty
which had not been there before her father's return.

And that father! I could hear him pacing the library floor with a
restlessness that struck me as being strangely akin to my own inward
anguish of impatience and doubt. What was he dreading? What was it I
had seen darkening his face and disturbing his manner, when from time
to time he pushed open the communicating door and cast an anxious glance
our way, only to withdraw again without uttering a word. Did he realize
that a crisis was approaching, that danger menaced him, and from me? No,
not the latter, for his glance never strayed to me, but rested solely
on his daughter. I was, therefore, not connected with the disturbance in
his thoughts. As far as that was concerned I could proceed fearlessly; I
had not him to dread, only the event. That I did dread, as any one must
who saw Miss Grey's face during these painful moments and heard that
restless tramp in the room beyond.

At last the hour struck,--the hour at which Mr. Grey always descended
to lunch. He was punctuality itself, and under ordinary circumstances I
could depend upon his leaving the room within five minutes of the
stroke of one. But would he be as prompt to-day? Was he in the mood
for luncheon? Would he go down stairs at all? Yes, for the tramp, tramp
stopped; I heard him approaching his daughter's door for a last look in
and managed to escape just in time to procure what I wanted and reach
the room below before he came.

My opportunity was short, but I had time to see two things: first, that
the location of his seat had been changed so that his back was to the
door leading into the adjoining room; secondly, that this door was
ajar. The usual waiter was in the room and showed no surprise at my
appearance, I having been careful to have it unders