The coffee and cigar were having their effect, and at the end of an hour, during which the party at the end of the table had been conversing in a low voice, a moan or two from the sufferer finished the tendency towards submission, and Chester busied himself for some time about the couch. Then, rising once more, "Pen and ink," he said shortly, and the heavy-featured young fellow fetched him a blotting-case and inkstand.

"A telegraph form, too."

"Plenty there, doctor."

Chester wrote quickly for a few minutes, and then handed a couple of papers to the young fellow, who had stopped close at hand.

"I want this prescription made up at the chemist's, and the telegram sent respecting a subst.i.tute to see my patients."

"All right, doctor," and the recipient took both to the end of the table, and gave them to the man who seemed to be his brother.

The latter took the papers and rose to cross to Chester.

"Thank you, doctor," he said quietly. "You will do your best, I see.

Please bear in mind that money is no object to us here. Our cousin's life is."

He went out of the room directly, returned soon after, and brought with him a quiet, sedate-looking old lady in black silk and white ap.r.o.n.

She was very pale, and her eyes looked wild and strange, as she went straight to the couch, leaned over and kissed the patient's forehead, and then set to work and cleared the disordered table, almost without a sound, two of the young men joining her and helping to carry the dessert things out by the farther door.

Chester's face must have told tales, for he started round in surprise to find that he had been carefully watched by the leader of the little plot to detain him.

"You could not get out that way, doctor," he said quietly. "We are a very united family here, and the housekeeper is devoted to us."

Chester frowned with annoyance.

"I understand you," he said; "but mind this: every dog has his day, sir, and mine will come, unless revolvers are brought into play and an awkward witness silenced."

"My dear doctor, you are romantic," was the sarcastic reply. "Don't be alarmed; we shall not shoot and bury you on the premises, for sanitary reasons. It might affect the nerves of our ladies, too. There, all we want of you is your skill to set that poor fellow right, and then you can return home, better paid than seeing ordinary patients. How does he seem?"

An angry retort was at Chester's lips, but he did not utter it. He accepted his position, for the time being, and replied quietly--

"Going on well, but he will be the better for a sedative. Feverish, of course. Have you sent that prescription?"

"Yes, it has been taken, and the chemist will be rung up to dispense it.

I say, doctor; no fear of a bad ending?"

"And no thanks to the man who fired at him from behind," said Chester, looking straight at his questioner as he spoke. "Fortunately the bullet pa.s.sed diagonally by his ribs, an inch to the right--"

"Yes, yes, the old story, doctor; but I did not fire the shot."

"Pray don't excuse yourself, sir," said Chester, coldly. "I am not a magistrate; only a medical man with the customary knowledge of surgery."

"And a little more, too," was the reply, with a smile. "There, doctor, we will not quarrel this morning, and you will not introduce the matter to the police. It will pay you better to be silent; but if you preferred to talk about it I'm afraid you would not be believed."

The speaker smiled cynically as he saw the effect of his words, and walked away, leaving Chester thinking deeply, and, in spite of his anger and annoyance, beginning more and more to feel that he had better accept his position.

"It is a strange experience," he said to himself, as he sank back in an easy-chair by the couch; "but a fee of two hundred guineas! Bel shall have it in the shape of a present. She will not fidget when she has had my wire."

CHAPTER FOUR.

THE STRANGE ATTRACTION PROVES TOO STRONG.

"There, I promise I will be quiet and say nothing, if you let me stay.

If you do not, I'll give the alarm in spite of you all."

"Pat! He's waking up."

With the tones of the sweet, rich voice thrilling his nerves, Fred Chester opened his eyes as he sat back in his chair, and gazed up at the cl.u.s.ter of soft lights glowing by the ceiling; but they did not take his attention. He was dwelling wonderingly upon the words he had heard as if in a dream.

His head was heavy and confused, and it was some moments before he could grasp his position. "Who's waking up?" he thought. Then his eyes fell, and he looked sharply down, and the blood rushed surging to his temples as he saw his beautiful visitor of the night before, then all came back in a moment.

She was kneeling beside the wounded man's couch, holding his hand, and she gazed at Chester with an appealing, wistful look in her eyes which again sent a thrill through him, and a feeling of misery and despair such as he had never before felt made his heart sink. He shivered slightly as he turned away, to glance round the room and note that four of those whom he had previously seen were still present.

"You've had a good nap, doctor," said a familiar voice.

"Have--have I been asleep?" said Chester, involuntarily.

"Beautifully. What a delightfully clear conscience you must have, doctor!" said the speaker, banteringly, "that is, if you did not take a chloral pill on the sly. Six hours right off."

"Impossible!" cried Chester, angrily.

"Then my watch is a most awful liar, and the clock on the chimney-piece there has joined in the conspiracy."

Chester hurriedly took out his watch, to find that the hands stood at two, as he bent down over his patient, who was sleeping calmly.

"We gave him a dose of the drops as soon as the bottle came, doctor, for we did not like to wake you after your hard night. He has slept like a lamb ever since."

Chester took no notice of the words, as he busied himself about his patient, the lady drawing back and going to a chair, waiting impatiently till he ceased.

"How is he?" she said then excitedly.

"He could not be doing better, madam," said Chester, trying to speak coldly, and avoiding for a moment the eyes which seemed to plunge searchingly into his; and at his words he saw that they suddenly grew dim, and that she clapped her hands to her lips to keep back a piteous sob or two.

"Hush, hush, my dearest," whispered the old housekeeper in a motherly way, and Chester saw that a strong effort was made, and the face from which he could not tear his eyes grew calm.

"Well, doctor, if ever I am in a bad fix, I shall know where to apply."

Chester turned sharply to the speaker, and read from the cynical smile that he had seen the impression made upon him by the agitated face which possessed so strange a fascination.

"You prove yourself quite worthy of your reputation, which has often reached us."

"Any surgeon could have done what I have, sir," replied Chester, shortly, and then mastering himself, he continued, as he thought of home and all he had at stake, "I presume that now you are at rest about your cousin's state, this sorry farce is at an end."

"Very nearly a tragedy, my dear sir," said the other, lightly.

"You mistake me, sir. I mean this enforced detention."