"It is scarcely fair to form a judgment on so small a portion," replied the Doctor, "but it certainly resembles arsenic." Geoffery looked very hard at him; he returned the look, for a moment only, then dropped his eyelids, and compressed his lips, as though he feared his thoughts would assume the shape of words, and escape from them unbidden. "What can be the meaning of all this, Doctor!" said Geoffery, after a pause of some duration. "I don't know, sir--I don't know," replied the Doctor, hastily, and almost angrily. "There seems to be no comment necessary," observed Geoffery. "Yet," he added, after another pause, "the only possible solution is too horrible to be thought of." "Quite so, sir, quite so!" replied the Doctor. "I wish," he subjoined, shortly after, "that any other medical man but myself had been called in." "That, too, was strange!" said Geoffery, turning towards the table: "what object could Mr. Arden, or Sir Alfred, rather, as we must _now_ call him I suppose, have had in attempting to rinse that glass?" "It is impossible to say," replied the Doctor. "Why should he," persisted Geoffery, instead of being anxious to ascertain the truth (as every near relative who had not his own reasons for a contrary line of conduct must be), "seek to make away with evidence?" The Doctor compressed his lips harder than before. "What do you suppose these dregs to be?" asked Geoffery, after a long pause, devoted to a careful scrutiny of the contents of the glass. "Arsenic, apparently," replied the Doctor;--this was a point on which he considered himself called upon to speak. "And you think Sir Willoughby's death was caused by poison?" "I did certainly from the symptoms described suspect as much; but I should, for the further satisfaction of the family, recommend the body being opened." "You are quite right," said Geoffery; "it ought to be satisfactory to every member of the family that the cause and manner of Sir Willoughby's death should be clearly ascertained." The good Doctor moved his head mournfully but made no reply. The paper was still in his hand. Being about to depart, he offered it to Geoffery, saying, "I had better give this to you, I suppose, sir?" "By no means," replied Geoffery; "but I must request that you will take especial charge of it. 'Tis scarcely to be supposed that circumstances so mysterious and extraordinary will be passed over without some investigation, in which case that scrap of paper will be of infinite importance."