She shook her head. “It wasn’t Dunster. It was the man Miles makes use of--Ryan, the librarian. He was once an actor.” “Where is Dunster, then?” Hamel asked quickly. “What has become of him?” She opened her lips and closed them again, struggled to speak and failed. She sat there, breathing quickly, but silent. The power of speech had gone. CHAPTER XXXII Hamel, for the next few minutes, forgot everything else in his efforts to restore to consciousness his unexpected visitor. He rebuilt the fire, heated some water upon his spirit lamp, and forced some hot drink between the lips of the woman who was now almost in a state of collapse. Then he wrapped her round in his own ulster and drew her closer to the fire. He tried during those few moments to put away the memory of all that she had told him. Gradually she began to recover. She opened her eyes and drew a little sigh. She made no effort at speech, however. She simply lay and looked at him like some wounded animal. He came over to her side and chafed one of her cold hands. “Come,” he said at last, “you begin to look more like yourself now. You are quite safe in here, and, for Esther’s sake as well as your own, you know that I am your friend.” She nodded, and her fingers gently pressed his. “I am sure of it,” she murmured. “Now let us see where we are,” he continued. “Tell me exactly why you risked so much by leaving St. David’s Hall to-night and coming down here. Isn’t there any chance that he might find out?” “I don’t know,” she answered. “It was Lucy Price who sent me. She came to my room just as I was undressing.” “Lucy Price,” he repeated. “The secretary?” “Yes! She told me that she had meant to come to you herself. She sent me instead. She thought it best. This man Dunster is being kept alive because there is something Miles wants him to tell him, and he won’t. But to-night, if he is still alive, if he won’t tell, they mean to make away with him. They are afraid.” “Miss Price told you this?” Hamel asked gravely. Mrs. Fentolin nodded. “Yes! She said so. She knows--she knows everything. She has been like the rest of us. She, too, has suffered. She, too, has reached the breaking point. She loved him before the accident. She has been his slave ever since. Listen!” She suddenly clutched his arm. They were both silent. There was nothing to be heard but the wind. She leaned a little closer to him. “Lucy Price sent me here to-night because she was afraid that it was to-night they meant to take him from his hiding-place and kill him. The police have left off searching for Mr. Dunster in Yarmouth and at The Hague. There is a detective in the neighbourhood and another one on his way here. They are afraid to keep him alive any longer.” “Where was Mr. Fentolin when you left?” Hamel asked. “I asked Lucy Price that,” she replied. “When she came to my room, there were no signs of his leaving. She told me to come and tell you everything. Do you know where Mr. Dunster is?”