"Yes, I love him," she said simply.
Then this strange man, without another word, gently pushed his daughter to one side, and, throwing off his coat, stooped over the prostrate form of the man whose life he had tried to take, and industriously worked over him, in an attempt to restore the failing respiration.
Slowly and steadily he worked for what seemed an eternity to the anxious girl. At length he rose, calm and collected as usual, and drew on his coat again.
"He is out of danger now," he said; "you can do the rest yourself."
And he handed his daughter the brandy flask.
A faint tinge of color had returned to the artist's face; his breast heaved gently in an irregular respiration.
Sturgis, still unable to stir from the chair in which he had fallen, was vaguely conscious of Murdock's movements. He saw the chemist open the safe which stood near his table and take from it numerous bundles of bank-notes, which he carefully packed into a valise; he saw him take from the same safe a few richly bound note-books, which he proceeded to do up in a neat bundle, securely tied and sealed.
This done, the chemist put on his hat and coat, and was preparing to pass out into the hallway, when a knock sounded upon the door.
Murdock opened slightly—enough to show himself, without revealing the presence of the other occupants of the room.
It was one of the housemaids.