Page:The Galaxy, Volume 5.djvu/480

466 picion was correct, she should avail herself of the opportunity to escape. While, at the same time, if her story was true, I was taking the responsibility of omitting the medicine, which I dare not give upon her word. I felt the injustice of manifesting my suspicions upon such grounds as I had. I was utterly at a loss what to do. I said, at last:

"Miss Mason, you were unnaturally agitated by my sudden entrance. I confess that I am nervous. For both our sakes, tell me why you did not give this medicine at the appointed hour?"

The blood flushed over her face, and left it white as marble.

"I have been doing a mean, wicked deed. I forgot everything in doing it. When I fancied myself detected, I lost my control."

"What was this deed?"

"Opening and reading Jenny's letter from Mr. Claës!" She spoke calmly, but with evident effort, as though constrained in spite of herself.

"Why did you open the letter?" I asked.

The blood flushed again over her white face, like a stain.

"I had to know!" she said, with an imperious sort of gesture.

"What?" Afterward I could hardly believe I had asked these questions of Camilla Mason.

"Whether he loved her!" in a hoarse, hissing way.

As she said these words the clock struck four. The flying time recalled me to the necessity of action. At that moment, to my inexpressible relief, there was a rumble of wheels which stopped at the door, and an instant after Dr. Brown was stepping softly up the stairs. Quick as thought I threw Miss Mason's shawl over the red stain on the bedspread. Dr. Brown stepped up to his patient. "I felt anxious about her," he said, "and thought I'd stop on my way home." He turned to Miss Mason. Have you noticed any effect from the medicine? You have given it twice, I suppose?"

I came forward and blundered through with some sort of story about our not having liked to rouse Jenny.

"What!" said the doctor, bristling; "she has not had it all! Where is the phial?"

My last state was certainly worse than my first! To have accused another wrongfully is certainly pitiable; to have trifled with the dangerous condition of the sick girl, perhaps, more pitiable still; and to have become a target for the good doctor's wrath, something to be trembled at. I handed him the phial. He measured and administered the medicine, and took himself off in a huff, muttering something about it being bad enough to ride night and day at every one's beck and call, without being snubbed to boot by a couple of ignorant women!

I was alone again with Miss Mason. To admit my suspicion by