“Violet, my child”—the doctor lifted his head, and his eyes met the bewildered gaze of the girl—“I do not like to raise false hopes in your heart, but I believe, I truly believe, that there is a hope of saving your mother yet. I do not think that she is dead.”
“Oh, thank God! thank God! Let me go and call Aunt Constance at once.”
“Not for your life!” Doctor Danton’s hand came down upon the girl’s shoulder. “Stop!” he commanded; “listen to me! If I restore Rosamond Arleigh to life once more, no one must know or suspect the truth—no one but yourself and the gentleman in the room yonder. Violet, he is a detective.”
“A—detective?” gasped the girl.
“Yes; and an exceedingly clever one at that. I sent for him to keep watch with me to-night, having first, with some difficulty, induced Mrs. Rutledge to consent to leave everything to me. But first I administered a potion to your mother which will restore circulation and keep her in this condition until I can go to work properly in the case. Violet, I believe that some one has attempted her life. The empty chloral bottle was placed at her side to give the impression that she had died from an overdose of chloral, taken accidentally or with design.”
“Good heavens! Doctor Danton, my mother would never have been guilty of suicide.”
“I know it, my dear. She desired to live for your sake. But how can we convince the public of that? Neither I nor any of the other attending physicians could find anything that would justify a verdict of suicide; and I, noting something unusual about the body, and acting upon certain hints in regard to her condition lately given me by your mother, have ventured to take the course that I have taken. I made a clean breast of the affair to Mr. Dunbar, the famous detective. The result is that he is here to-night, and his suspicions are fully aroused as to the evidence of an attempted crime. Violet, can you be strong and brave, and control your nerves? Will you be obedient? Can you help me in everything, for your mother’s sake?”
The great tears rushed into the girl’s dark eyes.
“Try me—try me!” she cried. “Oh, Doctor Danton, I would do anything for my dear mother!”
“I knew it. Well, then, the first thing you must do is to go straight upstairs to your own room and go to bed.”