She sat sadly musing before her fire one night, when the loud ringing of the bell below startled her from her dreaming, and the thought that she was about to receive a visit from her captors darted into her mind. Ten minutes elapsed and she began to feel relieved and believe herself mistaken, when footsteps were heard upon the stairs, and presently the two wretches entered her room. They had remained below long enough to remove their disguises, without which they had been afraid to visit her. They would not have felt so secure if they had known that the lynx-eyed detective, Mr. Shelton, was pacing up and down the road in front of the house, laughing in his sleeve at the ineffectual trouble they had taken in disguising themselves. Mr. Shelton had seen this house before, knew that it was a madhouse, was acquainted with the name of the proprietor, and knew also that he was suspected at the police headquarters of being engaged in a fraudulent business, and that a descent upon the house for the purpose of verifying suspicion was meditated. "Ah! Miss Lawrence, good-evening," said Doctor Pratt, airily. "I trust you find yourself in better health and spirits than when we last met." Lily turned her head away without replying, while Colville, bending over her, whispered gallantly: "Ah, my obdurate fair one, have you relented yet?" "No," answered Lily, briefly and coldly, withdrawing the hand he had tried to take in his own. "I hoped your mind had changed in the long interval since we last met," said he, taking a seat near her. Doctor Pratt had already taken a chair by the grated window. "You were mistaken," she answered, coldly, as before. "I think you will admit that I have waited long and patiently on your pleasure, Lily," said he, in a tone of expostulation. Lily lifted her large blue eyes for a moment and looked at him with a glance in which contempt and weariness were blended. "Mr. Colville," she said, quietly, "pray spare yourself the useless discussion of that subject. You had my answer long ago. I assure you my decision is unalterable." "But, Lily, reflect a moment. Would not a union with me be preferable to a lifetime of isolation and weariness here?" "No," she answered, steadily. "Even the wretched existence I drag out here among the insane inhabitants of this place is far more welcome to me than the hated thought of a union with you!" "I am sorry you think so," he answered, in tones of bitter sarcasm, "as, unfortunately, I do not propose to give you any choice in the matter." "What do you mean?" she inquired, with a thrill of indefinable fear creeping coldly around her heart. He saw the look of terror that came into her eyes, and, villain though he was, he hesitated before speaking out what was in his mind. He glanced at Dr. Pratt and took courage from the gleam of that villain's eyes.