"Doctor," she said, clasping her hands imploringly, "I appeal to your honor, to your generosity, to your humanity, to restore me to my home and father!" Doctor Pratt shook his head decisively. "It is impossible for me to do that," he answered; "you are in the power of Mr. Colville; I am merely employed by him to attend you in your illness. You must make your appeal to him." "He is a villain, a designing wretch!" she broke out, indignantly. "I will make no appeal to him. But, doctor, if you will go and tell my father where to find me, I will give you five thousand dollars the day I am liberated from this prison-house." He laughed and drew a newspaper from his pocket. Putting it in her hands, he directed her attention to a marked paragraph. She read it with streaming eyes. It ran simply: "Much sympathy has been excited for the Lawrence family in the painful discovery that the body of Miss Lily Lawrence has been stolen from the vault of her father. The well-known wealth of the great banker makes it seem probable that the foul deed was committed with a view to a heavy ransom. It will be seen in our reward column that Mr. Lawrence offers ten thousand dollars for the return of the corpse." "So your father offers more for the repose of your dead body than you do for your living one," he said, laughing. "No, Miss Lawrence, I cannot accept your munificent bribe. My duty to Mr. Colville forbids. And _au revoir_. I must be going. I leave you some medicine and will see you again to-morrow. Take the best care of her, Haidee." He went away, and they heard the hall door clang behind him. Lily turned to her silent attendant. "Haidee, you did not go," she murmured, in a reproachful tone. "Oh! yes, I did, miss, but your father was not there," readily answered the treacherous old woman. "Oh! then you left the note for him, and also your address?" said Lily in a more hopeful tone. "Aye, that I did, miss," said old Haidee, lying glibly; "I gave it to a very pretty lady." "It was my sister Ada, then," said Lily. "No, miss; your sister lies ill of a fever. I gave it to a lady called Mrs. Vance," lied Haidee, watching the patient's face keenly. A startling change swept over the girl's white features. Fear, terror, resentment--all were blended in that look. "Oh!" she cried, "then indeed I have no hope of release! She will not give the letter to my father. She is my murderess--she tried to kill me. She will come here and make her fatal work sure! Watch for her, Haidee--do not allow her to enter here. She will kill me, indeed she will kill me!" "Oh, me, honey, I am so sorry that I gave her the note," said Haidee, artfully; "but do not be afraid, she shall not come here to finish her devil's work--no, not she, my poor deary."