"Oh, dear me, Robert, you are quite mysterious," she said with a ghost of a smile; but then she met his eyes and the trouble in them startled her. "I wish I could help you," she said. "Do let me." "You cannot," he replied harshly, for the look in her face added to his tortures. "I shall come to a conclusion presently. When I come to it I will return to the house." "Then we are not to wait up for you? It is getting quite late, long past nine o'clock." "Do not wait up for me; leave the side door on the latch; I'll come in presently when I have made up my mind on this important matter." She approached the door unwillingly; when she reached the threshold she turned and faced him. "I cannot but see that you are worried about something," she said. "I know, Robert, that you will have strength to do what is right. I cannot imagine what your worry can be, but a moral problem with you must mean the victory of right over wrong." "Maggie, you drive me mad," he called after her, but his voice was hoarse, and it did not reach her ears. She closed the door, and he heard her retreating footsteps on the gravel outside. He locked the door once more. "There spoke God and my good angel," he murmured to himself. "Help me, Powers of Evil, if I am to follow you; give me strength to walk the path of the lowest." These words had scarcely risen in the form of an awful prayer when once again he heard his wife's voice at the door. She was tapping and calling to him at the same time. He opened the door. "Well?" he said. "I am sorry to disturb you," she replied, "but you really must put off all your reflections for the time being. Who do you think has just arrived?" "Who?" he asked in a listless voice. "Your old friend and mine, Dr. Rumsey." "Rumsey!" replied Awdrey, "he would be a strong advocate on your side, Maggie." "On my side?" she queried. "I cannot explain myself. I think I'll see Rumsey. It would be possible for me to put a question to him which I could not put to you--ask him to come to me." "He shall come at once," she answered, "I am heartily glad that he is here." So he turned back and went to the house--she ran up the front steps--Rumsey was in the hall. "My hearty congratulations," he said, coming up to her. "Your letter contained such good news that I could not forbear hurrying down to Grandcourt to take a peep at my strange patient; I always call Awdrey my strange patient. Is it true that he is now quite well?" "Half an hour ago I should have said yes," replied Margaret; "but----" "Any recurrence of the old symptoms?" asked the doctor. "No, nothing of that sort. Perhaps the excitement has been too much for him. Come into the library, will you?" She entered as she spoke, the doctor following her.