Dr. Pratt was foaming at the mouth with such furious rage that he could not speak. Colville, pale, trembling, with chattering teeth and staring eyes, found his voice first. "Wretches! Devils!" he shouted, in a voice hoarse with passion, as he pointed to the door. "Go hide yourselves from my sight before I rend you limb from limb!" The craven wretches slunk away and locked themselves into their room in wild fear lest the two infuriated men should put their threat into execution. Colville came forward and stood by the bedside of the young girl who had fallen back panting from weariness after her denunciation of the would-be murderers. "Lily," he said abjectly, "I am so unnerved by the thought of the horrible fate you have just escaped that I can scarcely speak: but, believe me, my dearest girl, I thought you perfectly safe in this place, I never dreamed of such perfidy in these hired servants of my will." "This is no time for apologies," interrupted the doctor abruptly. "Make them hereafter when you have more leisure and better command of your feelings. At present the most important thing is to remove Miss Lawrence from this house immediately, and place her in a safer retreat." He drew Colville aside one moment. "I know of a place a few miles from here," he whispered, "to which I have the _entree_. The place is a private mad-house, and is kept by a doctor who is a very particular friend of mine. I know of no better retreat at present for our fair little friend. He will receive her with pleasure, and you can represent her as insane if it pleases you." "Let us take her there then," answered Colville. Doctor Pratt took down a dark cloak with a hood attached which hung against the wall. "Miss Lawrence," he said, quite courteously, "my carriage is at the gate and I find it necessary to remove you at once from the perils that environ you here. Put on this cloak and let us go. I will find means afterward to punish these wretches for their perfidy." Lily obeyed in silence, and was led down between them to the waiting carriage. The Leverets did not appear again, nor did the hound offer to molest them. Placing their prisoner in the carriage the two confederates drove rapidly away over the country road. CHAPTER XXIX. The inquest that was held over the dead bodies of Peter and Haidee Leveret developed no information that could lead to the conviction of their destroyer. An expert examined the bodies and declared that the cause of their death was strychnine poison. Large quantities of this baneful drug was found in the tea pot and in the partly emptied cups of the victims. Mr. Shelton testified to the accidental finding of the bodies, and to his extinguishing the flames which had been lighted for their funeral pyre--also to the finding of the chained prisoner in the gloomy dungeon. His evidence threw no light on the subject.