"Mr. Lucas!"
"Lucas, you're--you're mad, you know."
This was Hughes. But a piercing scream came from the couch.
"I knew that I was poisoned!"
Mrs. Chalmers might know that she was poisoned, but that was no reason why, on the strength of her knowledge, she should develope violent hysterics, which she immediately did. I had never seen so much of the man in Pybus as he showed just then. He gave one look at Mrs. Chalmers, and then he turned to Hughes.
"Mr. Hughes, will you be so good as to tell me if there is any meaning in Mr. Lucas's words?"
Hughes was ghastly white.
"The great point is to bring Miss Hammond back to life again. While we are talking here she may be dying at our feet. I appeal to your manhood, Mr. Pybus, to help me bring her back to consciousness."
Hughes knelt down by Margaret. Pybus turned to me.
"What does he mean?" he said.