"To watch you?" he echoed with well-simulated surprise. "Yes," she said firmly. "To watch me--am I right?" He shrugged his shoulders. "Your uncle is anxious about you, of course--why not? You have said many strange things about him. He is actually afraid for you, and for himself. It's natural enough. But come, don't let us speak of him. That is the one subject that we should never mention before you. It is your--your--what shall I call it--that the non-scientific person may understand?" Paula paced nervously up and down the room. What did these insinuations mean? What was the real object of this ambiguous questioning? She was about to retort angrily, when the door opened, and to her great relief Mrs. Parkes entered. "Oh, I beg your pardon," said the landlady, about to withdraw. "Don't go, please," cried Paula, going forward. "I want to see you, Mrs. Parkes. Dr. Zacharie is just going." Turning to dismiss him without further ceremony, she said curtly: "Good-by, doctor. Please thank my uncle, and tell him I don't need medical attention." Dr. Zacharie rose and bowed. He understood that he was unceremoniously dismissed, but he was not the kind of man to easily lose his sangfroid. "As you wish," he said, as he rose and went toward the door, "but you will be careful--won't you?" Impressively he added: "Remember--there is danger--great danger of total collapse. Your nerves need watching. The slightest imprudence----" "Lord sakes, doctor, you're not very comforting!" cried Mrs. Parkes. "I always tell my patients the truth," replied the doctor. "It is better." "Then I'm glad I'm not your patient," retorted the landlady promptly. "Give me the good, cheerful lie that comforts, even if it ain't true. My experience with Parkes taught me that, Paula-- I was only happy when he was lying to me." "Well, I have warned you, Miss Marsh," repeated the doctor, "take care!" Paula bowed haughtily. "Thank you--good-by," she said icily. Dr. Zacharie opened the door and disappeared. "Phew! Isn't he the Job's comforter!" exclaimed Mrs. Parkes. Looking suddenly at Paula, she said: "Lord sakes, child, how pale you are!" Paula was visibly distressed. The man certainly had frightened her, for she was all trembling. Going to the door, she first locked it, and then, turning to Mrs. Parkes, she said, in an agitated voice: "Don't let him come here again--please! He has such a depressing effect on me. Somehow or other I'm afraid of him--afraid of him. I don't know why--but I am." Suddenly she stopped, and, approaching the landlady, said, in a shuddering whisper: "Mrs. Parkes, if anything happens to me----" "Gracious! What could happen?" cried the old lady. "I don't know," replied the young girl gloomily. "My uncle is desperate for money. If anything happened to me--he's the next of kin--he'd get the estate." She stopped, as if unwilling to tell what was on her mind. Then, with an effort, she continued: "Supposing he----"