He snatched his knife from his pocket, removed the gag from her mouth, and cut all her bonds. Her hands tried nervously to rearrange her dress over her bosom. He tore off his own coat and threw it over her. "Are you badly hurt?" he asked anxiously. "I am not hurt much," she answered weakly, "but--" "But what?" he demanded. She commenced to cry softly but insistently. Black fear rose up to torture him. "But what?" he repeated, with sinking heart. "It has gone!" she murmured, crossing her hands upon her bosom. "What has gone?" he asked. "Quick!" "The deed!" she whispered. "Don't look at me like that. I couldn't help it. It was a trap, of course, to get me here, and I was a fool. The letter was from you, but I ought to have known that it was a forgery. I was taken unawares. She was like a madwoman. She would have torn the clothes from my body. I struggled. I called out. It was no use. She has taken it away." "But you are not hurt?" he exclaimed anxiously. "I--no!" she answered, a little vacantly. "But it is gone! I was not fit to be trusted with it. I ought to have given it up to you." She was very pale, and he was afraid of her fainting. He summoned the landlady once more. She was waiting on the stairs close by. "Something very serious has happened here," he said, sternly. "This young lady has been assaulted and robbed." "I'm sure I'm very sorry," the woman declared. "You can't blame any of us, though. I never heard a sound, no more did Hilda, and I can't prevent my lodgers having visitors." "We won't discuss it," Deane said sharply. "But if this is Miss Montague's room,--" "It isn't," the woman interrupted. "It's my sitting-room. Miss Montague has only an attic, and she came to me and said that she couldn't receive a visitor there, and asked me to lend her my room for a few minutes." Deane nodded. "The other rooms on this floor are unoccupied, of course," he said. "Oh! it's quite easy to understand. I don't need to ask you any more questions. I don't want any more explanations. If you want to keep this out of the police court, you will do exactly as I tell you." "Yes!" she exclaimed eagerly. "I will do anything." "Send your servant for a cab," Deane said, "and arrange this young lady's dress so that I can take her home." "I will fetch her a bodice of my own," declared the woman, hurrying off. Winifred had risen to her feet, and was sitting in an easy-chair. She was leaning forward, with her face half buried in her hands. Deane turned towards her. "Winifred--" She avoided his gaze. "Don't!" she begged. "Please don't talk to me. I can't bear it." "But I may say--" he began. "No!" she interrupted, almost fiercely. "Please say nothing. I mean it. I cannot bear to talk! I cannot bear to be talked to!"