She stole a glance at him, and, to her profound uneasiness, she found him staring intently at her. A shiver ran down her spine, and she turned back to her book with a very pale face. If only it had been an interesting book, so that she might have forgotten herself for a little while! The clock struck half past eleven. “After all, I don’t see why I have to sit here,” she thought. “I shouldn’t exactly break up the party if I went to bed.” And she was just about to close her book when Mrs. Quelton spoke. “I’m so tired!” she said in a high, wailing voice. “I’m so tired—so tired—so tired!” Dr. Quelton hastily rose and came over to her chair. “Then you must go to bed,” he said. “Come!” He helped her to rise, and she stood, supported by his arm, her face drawn and ghastly. “I’m so tired!” she moaned. Captain Grey came toward her, making a very poor attempt to smile. “Good night, Muriel!” he said, holding out his hand. She did not answer, or even look at him. Leaning on the doctor’s arm, she went out of the room, into the hall, and up the stairs. Her wailing voice floated back to them: “I’m so tired—so tired!” For a moment Captain Grey and Lexy were silent. Then— “Good God!” he cried suddenly. “I can’t stand this! I—” Lexy came nearer to him. “Don’t stand it!” she whispered. “Take her away! Can’t you _see_? Take her away!” “How can I? Her husband—she doesn’t want to go.” “Make her! Oh, can’t you see? He’s giving her some horrible drug!” “You mustn’t be alarmed,” said Dr. Quelton’s voice from the hall. They both looked at him with a guilty start, but his blank eyes were staring past them, at nothing. “It is unfortunate,” he said. “The little excitement of this visit—” He walked past them into the room and over to the table, where his pipe lay among the chessmen. He lit it deliberately and stood smoking it, with one arm resting on the mantelpiece. “In her present highly nervous condition,” he went on, “the little excitement of this visit has proved too much for her. I shall drive over to the hospital and fetch a nurse—” “A nurse!” cried the young man. “Then she’s—” “There is absolutely no occasion for alarm, as I told you before. A few days’ rest and quiet—” “Look here, sir!” said Captain Grey. “It seems to me—I’ve no wish to be offensive, or anything of that sort, but it seems right to me”—he paused for a moment—“to get a second opinion.” “I shouldn’t advise it,” replied the doctor blandly. “Possibly not, sir; but perhaps you would be willing to oblige me to that extent. I don’t want to insist—” “I wouldn’t, if I were you.” There was a faint flush on the young man’s dark face. “Nevertheless—” he began, but again the doctor interrupted him.