Here followed another pause.
“You may have remarked,” she said at length, “that, though we live together, and he is my guardian, and the head of the house, there is not much communication between us.”
“I have gathered as much: I ask no questions, but I cannot tell Davie not to talk to me!”
“Of course not.—Lord Morven is a strange man. I do not understand him, and I do not want to judge him, or make you judge him. But I must speak of a fact, concerning yourself, which I have no right to keep from you.”
Once more a pause followed. There was nothing now of the grand dame about Arctura.
“Has nothing occurred to wake a doubt in you?” she said at last, abruptly. “Have you not suspected him of—of using you in any way?”
“I have had an undefined ghost of a suspicion,” answered Donal. “Please tell me what you know.”
“I should know nothing—although, my room being near his, I should have been the more perplexed about some things—had he not made an experiment upon myself a year ago.”
“Is it possible?”
“I sometimes fancy I have not been so well since. It was a great shock to me when I came to myself:—you see I am trusting you, Mr. Grant!”