"Drayton has crammed him. He too believes that I was shut in here to sleep it off. The story will get out in two hours. I am doomed in this town henceforth for a drunken doctor. I'd better have been killed instantly, as this infernal paper says." But I said,-- "Mr. Brake? You don't recognize me, I think. It is I, Dr. Thorne. I couldn't get here before two. I went to your house last evening. I got the impression you were here, so I came after you. I was locked in here by your confounded watchman. They have this minute let me free. I am in a great hurry to get home. Nice job this is going to be! Have you seen _that_?" I put my shaking finger upon the "Herald's" fiery capitals, and held the column folded towards him. "Jason," he said, after an instant's pause, "pick up the 'Herald,' will you? A gust of wind has blown it from the table. There must be a draught. Please shut the door." To say that I know of no earthly language which can express the sensation that crawled over me as the broker uttered these words is to say little or nothing about it. I use the expression "crawled" with some faint effort to define the slowness and the repulsiveness with which the suspicion of that to which I dared not and did not give a name, made itself manifest to my mind. "Excuse me, Brake," I said with some agitation, "you did not hear what I said. I was locked in. I am in a hurry to get home. Ask Drayton. Drayton let me in. I must get home at once. I shall sue the 'Herald' for that outrageous piece of work-- What do you suppose my wife-- Good God! She must have read it by this time! Let me by, Brake!" "Jason," said the broker, "this is a terrible thing! I feel quite broken up about it." "Brake!" I cried, "Henry Brake! Let me pass you! Let me home to my wife! You're in my way--don't you see? You're standing directly between me and the door. Let me pass!" "There's a private dispatch come," said the clerk Badly. "It is for you, sir. It is from Mrs. Thorne herself." "Brake!" I pleaded, "Brake, Brake!--Jason!--Mr. Brake! Don't you hear me?" "Give me the message, Jason," said Brake, holding out his hand; he seated himself, as he did so, at the office table, where I had sat the night out; he looked troubled and pale; he handled the message reluctantly, as people do in the certainty of bad news. "In the name of mercy, Henry Brake!" I cried, "what is the meaning of this? Don't you hear a word I say? Don't you feel me?--There!" I gripped the broker by the shoulder, and clinched both hands upon him with all my might. "Don't you _feel_ me? God Almighty! don't you _see_ me, Brake?" "When did this dispatch come, Jason?" said the broker. He laid Helen's message gently down; he had tears in his eyes. "Henry Brake," I pleaded brokenly, for my heart failed me with a mighty fear, "answer me, in human pity's name. Are you gone deaf and blind? Or am I struck dumb? Or am I"--