"Charles Carroll, you are permitting my ward to murder this child. I cannot remain here as witness to such a deed. When you will accept the assistance that I have to give, and will order this girl away, you may send word to the house."
And, with these words, Antoinette Trevor rose in strong anger, shook out her flounces, unfastened the door for herself, and, without more ado, left the cabin and the dying child alone to the care of the doctor and his mad protégée.
Carroll witnessed the departure without a word, and it was with an expression rather of relief than chagrin that he turned to Deborah.
"What did you give him?" he asked, quietly.
"Atropine. Four times more than enough to kill him."*
* Atropine is to-day considered the best antidote for cases of poisoning by the amanita muscaria or the amanita phalloides. At the period of the story (1744) its efficacy was unknown.
"The cat—"
"Lives."
"Good God, Deborah! We must save him now!"
Deborah set her teeth. "We—I will save him," she said, with slow precision. "Or else—they will bury me with him."