He paused a while to control his emotions. "After that I kept continually puzzling as to how the fellow could have come by his death. Thank God, I was quite sure my little wife had no hand in that! You say Argot killed him; perhaps he did, though I can't imagine why or how. As soon as Mrs. Atkins heard that the Frenchman had been arrested her whole manner changed. Her nervousness disappeared as if by magic, and to-day she resumed her usual mode of life. She has even talked about the murder occasionally. But the barrier between us has not diminished. I can not forget that she concealed that man's visit from me. I have longed, yet dreaded, to have the police discover his identity, fearing that if they did his connection with my wife would also come out; and yet so anxious am I to know the nature of that connection as to be willing to run almost any risk to discover the truth. But things have come to a crisis to-night. We can no longer go on living side by side with this secret between us. She must tell me what there was between them. And now, when I can bear the suspense no longer, you insist that she must not be excited." I felt terribly sorry for the poor fellow, and hesitated what to advise. "Get a good doctor," I said at last, "and have Mrs. Atkins's heart examined. Her trouble may not be as serious as I think it is, and in that case there would be no further need of caution." "Won't you undertake the case?" "Have you no family physician?" "Yes; Dr. Hartley." "He is an excellent man, and I think it would be much less agitating to Mrs. Atkins to be treated by her own doctor. You see it is very important that she should be kept quiet. I should like to ask you one thing, however: Don't you think you ought to tell the police that it was you who first found the hat and who threw it into the yard?" "I don't think it the least necessary," he answered, in great alarm; "what harm can this additional suspicion do Argot? There is no doubt that he tried to murder you, and is quite irresponsible. Why should he not be guilty of the other crime? You suspected him before you knew that the hat was in his possession." "That is all very true. And the man is hopelessly insane, I hear, and, guilty or not guilty, will probably spend the rest of his life in a lunatic asylum. Well, I must be off. Let me know what Dr. Hartley's verdict is. I am especially anxious that my fears may prove groundless, because I am sure that if you and Mrs. Atkins could have a frank talk everything would soon be satisfactorily explained." "Do you think so?" he exclaimed, eagerly. "I'm sure of it," and, with a hearty handshake, I left him. CHAPTER XIV MY HYSTERICAL PATIENT