"By the way," said the doctor, interrupting him, "I wish I knew where that came from. It isn’t mine. It is of a very curious pattern, too."
"Yes, doctor," said Nick, "it is a curious little syringe. But it is remarkable that it could have found its way here without your knowledge."
The doctor did not quite like this remark. He showed it in his face, which Nick was intently watching.
"I would like to buy it from you," said the pretended surgical instrument maker, not noticing the doctor’s look of impatience.
"Oh," said the latter, "it is not mine to sell. I found it upon my table yesterday evening, and I cannot possibly trace an ownership for it among my callers."
"It is of Spanish make," said Nick, who was carefully examining it.
But this did not enlighten Dr. Lord. He was beginning to tire of the pertinacity of his visitor, and finally, to get rid of him, he said:
"Well, you can take it away with you. It is useless to me, and as it is also useless to whoever left it here, I dare say they won’t return for it."
Nick was profuse in his thanks, and was hurrying toward Boston in a very few moments.
He had noticed that the graduated[Pg 14] cylinder of the syringe contained a small quantity of some kind of liquid, and he determined to have it analyzed.