"Nobody knows that the message said four in the morning. Vernie told me about it many times, and she only said _four_. You know, the phantom spoke no word, it merely designated by its fingers,--one, two, three, four! Also, Vernie said it carried two glasses of poison." "But _they_ weren't poisoned!" "No; that was merely the symbol of death. Also, Rudolph, remember the Ouija board said two would die at four. You can't get away from these things!" "That confounded Ouija performance was on one of the nights I was in New York! I wish I hadn't gone! But Vernie promised me she wouldn't sleep in that room. I was a fool to believe her. You see, Eve, I feel a sort of responsibility for the child. Uncle Gif was so easy-going and indulgent,--he was no sort of a guardian for her, now she was growing up. I planned to have her put under the care of some right kind of a woman this fall, and brought up properly." "I know it, Rudolph; you were very fond of her." "Not only that, but I appreciated what she needed, and I meant to see that she got it. Oh, Eve, I can't realize this thing." Doctor Wayburn came in. It was plain to be seen the man was scared. In his years of country practice he had never run up against anything tragic or thrilling before, and he was overwhelmed. With trembling step he entered the room of death, and first made examination of the body of Gifford Bruce. It did not take long. There was no apparent cause for death. No symptoms were present of any fatal disease, nor, so far as he could see, of any poison or wound of any sort. "I cannot say what an autopsy may divulge," declared the frightened practitioner, "but from this superficial examination, I find no cause of dissolution." Then he crossed the hall, to the Room with the Tassels. Braye followed him in, Eve also. The Professor and Tracy stood in the doorway, but Norma remained in the hall, her face buried in some sofa cushions. "No apparent cause," the Doctor repeated. "This child was in perfect health; I should say fright _might_ have killed her, but it doesn't seem credible. I know of no cause of any sort, that could bring about death in an instant of time, as you report." "Maybe not an instant," corrected the Professor, carefully. "As I look back, I should judge there was at least a half a minute between Mr. Bruce's first symptom of unease, and his falling to the floor." "So with Vernie," said Eve, thoughtfully. "I saw Mr. Tracy go quickly toward her; I followed immediately, and I'm sure there was nearly a half minute, but not more, before she gasped and died." "It's hard to judge time on such occasions," said the Doctor, looking sharply at Eve. "I know it, but I was very conscious of it all, almost clairvoyantly so, and I can assure you it was not longer than a half minute in either case, between the state of usual health and death itself. Is there any cause or agent that will work as quickly as that?" "I know of none," replied Doctor Wayburn, positively.