He leaned back against the cushions, disregarding the fact that with every nervous movement water ran from him as from a squeezed sponge. “Oh, I forgot your patient,” said he, with a twitching mouth. “But, for God’s sake, don’t keep me waiting long!”
I shook my head in answer; then ran, rather than walked, up the Marburys’ steps; indeed, that night taught me how active a corpulent old codger can be if the need comes.
Miss Peters evidently had been at the window in her night vigil, watching the storm; she opened the door.
“Well?” said I.
“The tide has turned.”
Under the hall light I looked up at her stony, expressionless face. The Sphinx itself was never more noncommittal.
“What do you mean?”
“I supposed you knew,” she whispered. “I supposed that was why you came back to-night so late.”
I exclaimed in a hoarse and savage whisper. I was furious. This time I had fought with disease not only, as in a common struggle, with carnivorous Death, but as a hardened sinner whose heart has suddenly opened to a child.
“Virginia is dead!” I said, glaring at her.