"I will protect and save her. My poor Phoebe! my poor Phoebe! But she will be able to clear up the mystery, although she may not lead us immediately to the discovery of the actual murderer. She can give us an explanation of her own movements. What has she told you, Aunt Leth?" "I have not got one sensible word from her, Fred, since she came home." "What does the doctor say?" "That she must be kept quiet. He is coming again this evening." "I must see her, if only for a moment. I will not agitate her, but it is imperative that we learn something from her which will enable us to act. Take me to her, Aunt Leth." Aunt Leth recognized the reasonableness of Fred's request, and she led him upstairs to the bedroom. Fanny was there, her eyes red with weeping. "Has she spoken, Fanny?" asked Aunt Leth. "Has she said anything?" "Only one word, mamma. Oh, Fred, isn't this dreadful! There, mamma, that is all she says--'Father! father!'" "Go out of the room for a little while, Fanny," said Fred Cornwall. "You can return when we leave." And then to Aunt Leth, when Fanny was gone, "Does Fanny know of Mr. Beeminster's visit?" "She knows nothing, Fred," replied Aunt Leth. It required a supreme effort on Fred's part to control his agitation as he gazed upon the white pitiful face of his dear girl. Her body was quite still, but her head tossed from side to side on the pillow, and in her distressful moans there could be distinguished but one word--"Father! father! father!" repeated incessantly. "Phoebe!" whispered Fred, bending over her. "She recognizes no one, Fred," whispered Aunt Leth; "not even me or Fanny." They remained with the suffering girl for a quarter of an hour, and then they stole softly from her bedside and went down-stairs. Fred was very grave; he realized that his dear one was in no light peril. "Mr. Beeminster set a man to watch the house," said Aunt Leth, pointing to the window. Fred looked out, and then, saying he would not be gone a minute, left the house. "There is a man watching also at the back of the house," he said, when he returned. "Oh, Fred," cried Aunt Leth, "what does it all really mean?"