"Yes, yes, the old story, doctor; but I did not fire the shot." "Pray don't excuse yourself, sir," said Chester, coldly. "I am not a magistrate; only a medical man with the customary knowledge of surgery." "And a little more, too," was the reply, with a smile. "There, doctor, we will not quarrel this morning, and you will not introduce the matter to the police. It will pay you better to be silent; but if you preferred to talk about it I'm afraid you would not be believed." The speaker smiled cynically as he saw the effect of his words, and walked away, leaving Chester thinking deeply, and, in spite of his anger and annoyance, beginning more and more to feel that he had better accept his position. "It is a strange experience," he said to himself, as he sank back in an easy-chair by the couch; "but a fee of two hundred guineas! Bel shall have it in the shape of a present. She will not fidget when she has had my wire." CHAPTER FOUR. THE STRANGE ATTRACTION PROVES TOO STRONG. "There, I promise I will be quiet and say nothing, if you let me stay. If you do not, I'll give the alarm in spite of you all." "Pat! He's waking up." With the tones of the sweet, rich voice thrilling his nerves, Fred Chester opened his eyes as he sat back in his chair, and gazed up at the cluster of soft lights glowing by the ceiling; but they did not take his attention. He was dwelling wonderingly upon the words he had heard as if in a dream. His head was heavy and confused, and it was some moments before he could grasp his position. "Who's waking up?" he thought. Then his eyes fell, and he looked sharply down, and the blood rushed surging to his temples as he saw his beautiful visitor of the night before, then all came back in a moment. She was kneeling beside the wounded man's couch, holding his hand, and she gazed at Chester with an appealing, wistful look in her eyes which again sent a thrill through him, and a feeling of misery and despair such as he had never before felt made his heart sink. He shivered slightly as he turned away, to glance round the room and note that four of those whom he had previously seen were still present. "You've had a good nap, doctor," said a familiar voice. "Have--have I been asleep?" said Chester, involuntarily. "Beautifully. What a delightfully clear conscience you must have, doctor!" said the speaker, banteringly, "that is, if you did not take a chloral pill on the sly. Six hours right off." "Impossible!" cried Chester, angrily. "Then my watch is a most awful liar, and the clock on the chimney-piece there has joined in the conspiracy." Chester hurriedly took out his watch, to find that the hands stood at two, as he bent down over his patient, who was sleeping calmly. "We gave him a dose of the drops as soon as the bottle came, doctor, for we did not like to wake you after your hard night. He has slept like a lamb ever since."