Leave the house
immediately. I shall write to the doctor, Mr. Softly, this very night."

"He has no address you can direct to," I rejoined. "If you don't believe
me, read that." I gave her the handbill without another word of preface.

Mrs. Baggs looked at it--lost in an instant some of the fine color
plentifully diffused over her face by sleep and spirits--sat down in the
nearest chair with a thump that seemed to threaten the very foundations
of Number Two, Zion Place--and stared me hard in the face; the most
speechless and helpless elderly female I ever beheld.

"Take plenty of time to compose yourself ma'am," I said. "If you don't
see the doctor again soon, under the gallows, you will probably not have
the pleasure of meeting with him for some considerable time."

Mrs. Baggs smote both her hands distractedly on her knees, and whispered
a devout ejaculation to herself softly.

"Allow me to deal with you, ma'am, as a woman of the world," I went on.
"If you will give me half-an-hour's hearing, I will explain to you how
I come to know what I do; how I got here; and what I have to propose to
Miss Alicia and to you."

"If you have the feelings of a man, sir," said Mrs. Baggs, shaking her
head and raising her eyes to heaven, "you will remember that I have
nerves, and will not presume upon them."

As the old lady uttered the last words, I thought I saw her eyes turn
from heaven, and take the earthly direction of the sofa in the front
parlor. It struck me also that her lips looked rather dry. Upon these
two hints I spoke.

"Might I suggest some little stimulant?" I asked, with respectful
earnestness. "I have heard my grandmother (Lady Malkinshaw) say that, 'a
drop in time saves nine.'"

"You will find it under the sofa pillow," said Mrs. Baggs, with sudden
briskness. "'A drop in time saves nine'--my sentiments, if I may put
myself on a par with her ladyship. The liqueur-glass, Mr. Softly, is
in the backgammon-board. I hope her ladyship was well the last time you
heard from her? Suffers from her nerves, does she? Like me, again. In
the backgammon-board. Oh, this news, this awful news!"

I found the bottle of brandy in the place indicated, but no
liqueur-glass in the backgammon-board. There was, however, a wine-glass,
accidentally left on a chair by the sofa. Mrs. Baggs did not seem to
notice the difference when I brought it into the back room and filled it
with brandy.

"Take a toothful yourself," said Mrs. Baggs