"I thought this young gentleman was telling me a lie." "It is the truth," said Petronella pointing to Herrick, "the Signor has written all down. Here, see me sign my name, and you can say I signed it." Inspector Bridge wanted to talk, but Dr. Jim made him a sign to be silent. The old woman was sinking fast and there was no time to be lost. With great difficulty she signed her name. Herrick and Bridge appended their signatures, and all was over. "This will set Frisco free," said Bridge, "and now I must see about getting a warrant out for this woman." "It is too late," said Dr. Jim, "she is dying." "She won't die," said Bridge with a disdainful smile, "all this is done to cheat the law. I have a policeman downstairs. He shall come up and watch her, while I go for a warrant of arrest." "She will die before sunset," said Sidney calmly, and went to the old women. He took her hand. "Good bye Petronella. You will be happy soon. You know what is to be done." "Si Si. I know. I am happy. I will go to my husband," said Petronella. Then she looked at Dr. Jim with a worn smile. "I did it for my signora," she said, "you can go. You can do me no good now." Herrick saw that well enough. However he went to see if he could get a nurse to heat some soup, and revive the woman. To be sure it was little use bringing her back to health and strength just to hang her. But Dr. Jim acted for the best. He went out with Sidney and the Inspector, leaving two policemen in charge. Bridge had the confession in his pocket, and intended to go up to town to deliver it into the hands of the proper authorities. Frisco had to be released seeing that he was innocent. "And I always thought he was," said Bridge lying in the most shameless manner. Sidney looked after the man with a queer smile when he went away. "He is only wasting time," said the boy. "We may keep the old woman alive till to-morrow," said Herrick. Sidney shook his head. "She will die before sunset," he said. Out of sheer perversity Dr. Jim wanted to thwart this prophecy. He saw that bad as Petronella was, she could be kept alive by stimulants, and this he intended to do, if only to baffle this extraordinary boy. For once in a way, he wished to prove Sidney in the wrong. The boy perhaps guessed his intentions, for he smiled again, and then said abruptly, that he was going back to Saxham. "Will you tell them what has happened?" asked Herrick. "No," replied Sidney, after a pause, "I am not fond of talking. You can tell them if you like." "Very good," said Dr. Jim coolly, "then you ask Ida, Frank, and Bess to be at 'The Pines' about five o'clock. I shall return by that time and then everything can be explained. Thank heaven we know the truth at last. It is about time the matter came to an end. Will you be at 'The Pines' also?" "I am going to have a long sleep," said Sidney. "I feel very tired."