As she
neared that of Mr. Laurence, the door opened a little, and a voice asked
huskily--

"Is anything the matter, Mrs. Clayton? I have been listening to noises
in the house for the last hour."

"My cousin, Mrs. Damer, has been taken ill, Mr. Laurence, but we have
sent for the doctor; I am going to her now."

And as the door closed again she fancied that she heard a sigh.

Blanche Damer was lying on her pillows very hot and flushed, with that
anxious, perturbed look which the eyes assume when the brain is only
half clouded, and can feel itself to be wandering.

"Blanche, dearest," cried Bella, as she caught sight of her face, "what
is the matter? How did this happen?"

"I dreamt that he had taken it," said Mrs. Damer, slowly and sadly; "but
it was a mistake: he must not have it yet--not yet! only a little while
to wait now!--but he has the key."

"Her mind is wandering at present," said Colonel Damer, who had followed
Mrs. Clayton into the room.

"Oh, Colonel Damer," exclaimed Bella, tearfully, "how dreadful it
is!--she frightens me! Could she have knocked her head in falling? Have
you no idea why she got up and went into the passage?"

"Not the slightest," he returned. And now that she examined him under
the morning light, which was by this time streaming through the open
shutters, Bella Clayton saw how aged and haggard his night's anxiety had
made him look. "My wife has been very subject to both sleeping-talking
and walking since my return, and I have several times missed her, as I
did last night, and found her walking about the room in her sleep, but
she has never been like this before. When I first found her in the
passage, I asked her why she had gone there, or what she wanted, and she
said, 'the key.' When I had relifted her into bed, I found her bunch of
keys as usual, on the dressing-table, therefore I imagine she could not
then have known what she was talking about. I trust Dr. Barlow will not
be long in coming; I am deeply anxious."

And he looked the truth of what he uttered; whilst poor little Mrs.
Clayton could only press his hand and entreat him to be hopeful; and his
wife lay on her pillows, and silently stared into vacancy.

As soon as the doctor arrived he pronounced the patient to be suffering
from an attack of pressure on the brain, and wished to know whether she
had not been subjected to some great mental shock or strain.

Here Colonel Damer came forward and stoutly denied the possibi