The news that De Vayne had been seized with a fit at Kennedy's rooms soon changed into a darker rumour. Men had not forgotten the affair of Hazlet, and they suspected that some foul play had been practised on one whom all who knew him loved, and whom all, though personally unacquainted with him, heartily respected. That this was really the fact soon ceased to be a secret; but who was guilty, and what had been the manner or motives of the crime remained unknown, and this uncertainty left room for the wildest surmises. The dons were not slow to hear of what had happened, and they regarded the matter in so serious a light, that they summoned a Seniority for its immediate investigation. Kennedy was obviously the first person of whom to make inquiries, and he told them exactly what had occurred, viz, that De Vayne after drinking a single glass of wine, fell back in his chair in the condition wherein he still continued. "Was anything the matter with the wine, Mr Kennedy?" asked Mr Norton, who, as one of the tutors, had a seat on the board. "Nothing, sir; it was the same which we were all drinking." "And without any bad effects?" "Yes, sir." "But, Mr Kennedy, there seems strong reason to believe that some one drugged Lord De Vayne's wine. Were you privy to any such plan?" "No, sir--not exactly," said Kennedy slowly, and with hesitation. "Really, sir," said the Master of Saint Werner's, "such an answer is grossly to your discredit. Favour us by being more explicit; what do you mean by `not exactly'?" Kennedy's passionate and fiery pride, which had recently increased with the troubles and self-reprobation of his life, could ill brook such questioning as this, and he answered haughtily: "I was not aware that anything of _this_ kind was intended." "Anything of _this_ kind; you _did_ then expect something to take place?" "I thought I had taken sufficient precautions against it." "Against _it_; against _what_?" asked Mr Norton. Kennedy looked up at his questioner, as though he read in his face the decision as to whether he should speak or not. He would hardly have answered the Master or any of the others, but Mr Norton was his friend, and there was something so manly and noble about his look and character, that Kennedy was encouraged to proceed, and he said slowly: "I suspected, sir, that there was some intention of attempting to make De Vayne drunk." "You suspected that," said Mr Norton with astonishment and scorn, "and yet you lent _your_ rooms for such a purpose. I am ashamed of you, Kennedy; heartily, and utterly ashamed." Kennedy's spirit was roused by this bitter and public apostrophe. "I lent my rooms for no such purpose; on the contrary, if it existed, I did my best to defeat it." "What made you suspect it?" asked Dr Rhodes, the Master. "Because a similar attempt was practised on another." "At which it seems that you were present?"