Guest made an impatient gesture. "Yes, sir, I am coming to it as fast as I can. You see doing for him so long and looking upon him like a son, and doing for Mr Brettison, too, as is always most aggravating about his dusting, and his room's a disgrace, but I never thought of Mr Stratton turning like that." "Like what?" "I'm telling you, sir. Getting so that it's a favour to be allowed to go into his room to tidy up, and him watching you and following you about with his eyes, and glaring at you all the time." "Of course, he does not like his specimens touched." "All which I know, sir, and I've studied him; but he never went on as he does now." "Oh, nonsense! he's ill and doesn't want to be worried." "He's mad, sir, as Bedlam." "Mrs Brade!" "He is, sir, and last night he tried to strangle me." "What?" "He did, sir, as I'm a sinful soul, and when I got away from him down the stairs and back here into my room, it's a mercy as I didn't faint away." "He touched you?" "Touched me, sir? He seized me. Oh, poor, dear gentleman, he's gone." "Look here," said Guest sharply, "have you told anybody about it?" "No, sir; not yet." "Then for Heaven's sake don't, Mrs Brade," said Guest, in a low, hurried tone. "It was, perhaps, only a sudden paroxysm. You say you like him." "Which indeed I do, sir." "Then pray be silent. If such a report were spread it would be his ruin." "Yes, sir, I thought of all that, and doctors signing things, and keepers coming to take him to shut him up in cells, with chains, and darkness, and howlings, and gnashing his teeth. Oh, my poor dear! my poor dear! Such a bonnie, good, lovable gentleman as you were!" Mrs Brade threw up her apron to her face and burst out into such a genuine passion of sobs and tears that Guest was touched, and he rose and placed his hand upon her arm. "Hush, hush!" he whispered; "don't take on like that. Perhaps it is only due to excitement, and he'll soon come round." "Do you think so, sir?" cried the woman, dropping her apron. "I do, indeed, if he is kept quiet. Why, if it was known--" "And the keepers came, sir?" "Come, come, it's not so bad as that. You have curious ideas about the treatment of the insane." "Oh, no, sir; I've heard so much, sir." "Never mind: we will not argue that. One thing is certain--any worry or excitement would be sure to make him worse." "Of course, sir." At that moment Mr Brade's hard breathing was audible through the door and curtain, and Guest looked at it uneasily. "Then you have not told your husband?" "Indeed, no, sir." "Then do not. Nor anyone else. We must keep this as our secret, Mrs Brade. My poor friend will come right I hope and feel, in time; so help me to guard him from all worry." "Indeed I will, sir." "No one must know. It would be bad for him at the institution." "Yes, sir, and he'd have to give up his chambers, of course, if any of the neighbours--I mean gentlemen in the other rooms--made complaints."