“The symptoms seem to accord with what you say, but I want to make perfectly sure. Where is the drug she took?”
“Oh, it was in the tea, sir, there,” cried the housekeeper.
Garstang turned upon her with a savage gesture, and Leigh saw it. His suspicions were raised.
“Here, sir,” said the woman, pointing to the pot.
“Oh yes,” said Garstang hurriedly: “she took it in her tea.”
“She did not, sir!” cried the woman desperately.
“Hold your tongue!” roared Garstang.
“I won’t, doctor, if I die for it,” cried the woman. “He drugged her, poor dear. I was obliged to do as he said.”
“The woman’s mad,” cried Garstang. “Go on with your work.”
A savage instinct seemed to drive Leigh, on hearing this, to bound at Garstang, seize him by the throat and strangle him; but a glance at Kate checked it, and the physician regained the ascendancy.