'I knew—I was in danger—that but for you—perhaps—your poor sister—'
'Oh! don't speak of it,' he said, shuddering.
And leaning over the edge of one of the nymphs' pedestals, beside her, he stared silently into the cool green water.
'There,' said Lucy tremulously, 'you don't want to speak of it. And that was my feeling. Why should we speak of it any more? It must be such a horrible grief to you. And I can't do anything to help you and Miss Manisty. It would be so different if I could.'
'You can,—you must—let me tell you what I had done for your safety that night,' he said firmly, interrupting her. 'I had made such arrangements with Dalgetty—who is a strong woman physically—I had so imprisoned my poor sister, that I could not imagine any harm coming to you or any other of our party. When my aunt said to me that night before she went to bed that she was afraid your door was unsafe, I laughed—"That doesn't matter!" I said to her. I felt quite confident. I sat up all night,—but I was not anxious,—and I suppose it was that which at last betrayed me into sleep. Of course, the fatal thing was that we none of us knew of the chloroform she had hidden away.'
Lucy fidgetted in distress.
'Please—please—don't talk as though anyone were to blame—as though there were anything to make excuses for—'.
'How should there not be? You were disturbed—attacked—frightened. You might—'
He drew in his breath. Then he bent over her.
'Tell me,' he said in a low voice, 'did she attack you in your room?'