‘Little apparent reason, I admit,’ answered Lucius thoughtfully. ‘Yet it is sometimes from those we least suspect we suffer the deepest wrongs. These Winchers may believe your grandfather to be very rich; they may suppose that he has left them a good deal of money; and might—mind, I am only suggesting a remote contingency—they _might_ desire to shorten his life. O, my dearest,’ he cried, pained by Lucille’s whitening face, ‘remember I do not for a moment say that this is likely; but—as I told you a few moments ago—there are symptoms in the case that puzzle me, and we cannot be too careful.’ Lucille leaned upon him, trembling like a leaf, with her white face turned towards him, a look of unspeakable horror in her eyes. ‘You don’t mean—’ she faltered; ‘you cannot mean that you suspect, that you are afraid of my grandfather being poisoned?’ ‘Lucille,’ he said tenderly, sustaining the almost-fainting girl, ‘the truth is always best. You shall know all I can tell you. There are diseases which baffle even experience; there are symptoms which may mean one thing or another, may indicate such and such a state, or be the effect of a condition exactly opposite; there are symptoms which may arise alike from natural causes or from a slow and subtle poison. This is why so many a victim has been done to death under the very eye of his medical attendant, and only when too late the hideous truth has dawned upon the doctor’s mind, and he has asked himself with bitter self-reproach, “Why did I not make this discovery sooner?”’ ‘Whom could you suspect?’ cried Lucille. ‘I am confident as to the fidelity of Mr. and Mrs. Wincher. They have had it in their power to rob my grandfather at any moment, if gain could have tempted them to injure him. Why, after all these years of faithful servitude, should they attempt to murder him?’ This was said in a low tremulous voice, terror still holding possession of the girl’s distracted mind. ‘The thought is as horrible as it appears impossible,’ said Lucius, whose apprehensions had as yet assumed only the vaguest form. He had never meant to betray this shadowy fear, which had arisen only within the last twenty-four hours; but he had been led on to say more than he intended. ‘Let us speak no more of it, dearest,’ he said soothingly. ‘You attach too much importance to my words. I have only suggested care; I have only told you a well-known fact, namely, that the symptoms of slow poisoning and of natural disease are sometimes exactly alike.’ ‘You have filled me with fear and horror!’ cried Lucille, shuddering. ‘Let me bring a nurse into the house,’ pleaded Lucius, angry with himself for his imprudence. ‘Her presence would at least give you courage and confidence.’ ‘No; I will not have my grandfather frightened to death. He shall take nothing but what I prepare for him; no one shall go near him but I, or without my being present.’