“Chanda Lal said something to Lady Haigh about a ring.” “Fath-ud-Din’s ring!” The men looked at one another for a moment, then Stratford spoke again. “But we are not in the days of the Borgias now. How could these people have become acquainted with such a trick as that?” “Surely,” said Georgia, “it is more likely that the Borgias owed their methods to the East than that the East borrowed from them? We have learnt already, by sad experience, that Fath-ud-Din is a most expert poisoner, and we can guess that he would consider it to be to his interest to rid himself of Sir Dugald.” “The thing is absolutely impossible,” said Dick, not considering the rudeness of his language. Georgia looked at him in some surprise. “I may tell you that it was from examination of the symptoms that I first formed my theory, Major North, and that it was only when I was trying to find out whether there had been any opportunity of administering poison that I heard of the ring from Chanda Lal.” “But are you acquainted with any poison which would produce exactly these effects?” asked Stratford. The rest waited eagerly for the reply, and their faces fell when Georgia answered-- “No, I am not. There are circumstances connected with the illness which I cannot explain by attributing it to the action of any specific poison of which I have ever heard. But you must have noticed in the papers about ten years ago various references to certain Asiatic poisons, the nature of which was quite unknown to Western medical men. It was supposed that a poison of this kind had been administered to a particular ruler whom it was desired to dethrone, and that it acted in such a way as to paralyse his will and his powers of mind. I do not say that this is the same poison--in fact I believe it can’t be, for that was supposed not to affect the physical powers in any way--but I think that this belongs to the same class. You saw how poor Sir Dugald struggled against the effects; only a man of indomitable will could have held out as he did. But he could not continue to resist, and when he had attained his great object, and signed that paper, his will-power collapsed suddenly. It is just possible that if the emergency had continued to exist, he might have held out, and succeeded in throwing off the effects of the poison.” “And you really think it possible that enough poison to produce such results as these could be contained in that ring?” asked Stratford. “I do; and I want you to help me to persuade Lady Haigh to allow me to try the effect of different antidotes. She is so thoroughly convinced that the attack is a simple paralytic seizure, brought on by overwork and worry, that she refuses to let me make trial of any strong remedies lest they should retard Sir Dugald’s recovery. But I am very much afraid that unless we can expel the poison from the system, or at any rate neutralise it, he will not recover at all.”