Mr. Cooley gave him a nudge. "Hush!" whispered the lawyer. Up to this point the lawyer had followed the proceedings eagerly, highly gratified at the progress made, but Jimmy's loquaciousness threatened to spoil everything. Aloud he said: "Er--these gentlemen will form their own opinions. Whatever is best will be done. If your niece is, as I fear, hopelessly incompetent, you can rely on them to--to--take the proper step to prevent any catastrophe." "Her attitude is certainly very significant," said Dr. Zacharie pointedly. Dr. McMutrie was still sceptical. Dryly he said: "Yes, it signifies that she dislikes her relatives, but dislike of one's relatives is not necessarily a sign of mental derangement. I know some very excellent people who cannot bear the sight of their relatives." "On the other hand," retorted Mr. Cooley, "Hamlet hated his uncle, and it developed into a general mania for killing people. If he'd been properly restrained five innocent lives would have been saved." "Five lives--that is not in the medical records, is it?" demanded Professor Bodley anxiously. "Shakespeare killed them--not Hamlet," laughed Dr. McMutrie. "Still," said Mr. Cooley significantly, "it's a good object lesson." "We don't need object lessons from playwrights," rejoined Dr. McMutrie sharply. "Certainly not," chuckled the professor. "Hush!" exclaimed Jimmy. "Here comes my niece!" The door of the little room opened, but it was not Paula. Mrs. Parkes appeared instead. "She won't come, sir," said the landlady apologetically. "I told her, and I tried to persuade her, but she wouldn't." "Then we'll go to her," said Mr. Cooley determinedly. He made a motion as if he would use force, but Mrs. Parkes, alarmed, held up her arms entreatingly. "No, please, sir, the poor girl's so frightened! Won't you come to-morrow?" Dr. Zacharie advanced, full of importance and authority. "I'll get her," he said grimly. "That is, of course, unless I have completely lost my influence over her. In these cases one can never be sure what form the delusion will take." "Do as you think best, doctor," assented Mr. Cooley. Dr. Zacharie opened the door and went in. There was a short delay during which the others waited expectantly. In a few moments the door again opened and Paula entered docily, the physician at her side. CHAPTER XV.