Once or twice she uttered some brief remark, but no word was said that made clear to the watching girl any of the strange happenings in this strange house. But when the grey light of dawn was beginning to steal through the window curtains, the woman in the bed said gently: "It was wonderfully good of you to come here and take care of me like this. I wonder whether you are thinking you have come into a place of mad people?" "No, I did not think that." "You have taken a great deal on trust, and though it is very much to ask of a stranger, I am going to ask you still--to take me--on trust. I have not done--anything wrong; if it is folly--well, I shall have to pay the price." To this enigmatical sentence Christina could think of no reply, but she went to the bedside, and gently touched the shapely hand on which rested that plain gold ring. "Your eyes tell me you are a faithful soul," the low voice continued; "you belong to the race of people who make good friends. I have another--good friend in the world, but he--will you still take me on trust?" she ended abruptly, her fingers closing round Christina's hand. "I couldn't do anything else," the girl answered quickly; "you need not tell me you have done nothing wrong; I know it. Nobody who looked into your face could ever distrust you," she added, in a burst of girlish enthusiasm. "Some day--if we meet again, and if you care to hear it--you shall hear all the story, but not now--not now. And you--you will keep silence--about--everything here?" The dark eyes searched her face anxiously. "Remember, even the doctor knows nothing." "I will keep silence about everything," Christina answered solemnly, stooping for the second time to touch the beautiful face with her lips. CHAPTER XI. "YOU CAN TRUST DR. FERGUSSON." When at about seven o'clock in the morning, Dr. Fergusson, and the servant Elizabeth, once more reached the house amongst the woods, Christina was dressed and ready to admit them by the little green gate in the wall. She had made herself ready for the day at a very early hour, stealing out of her beautiful charge's room whilst the latter was sleeping peacefully, and Fergusson smiled approvingly when he caught sight of the girl's trim figure and smiling face. He alighted quickly from the car, and helped Elizabeth to descend; and, whilst the servant hurried into the house, he put a quick question or two to Christina. "Yes, she has had a quiet night on the whole," the girl answered; "she has not slept much at a time, but she has dozed now and then, and she has been wonderfully calm. She is asleep now, but she told me most particularly that she wished to be awakened when you came. I think," the girl hesitated as she glanced into the doctor's face, "I think she has something special to say to you."