"I sometimes wonder," he said, "that either of us has remained sane. Oh! what does it mean? What can we do? What can we do?"
"We must watch, Rob. To enlist the services of Saunderson, would be almost impossible; he lives in his orchid houses; they are his world. In matters of ordinary life I can trust him above most men, but in this—"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Could we suggest to him a reason—any reason but the real one—why he should refuse to receive Ferrara?"
"It might destroy our last chance."
"But sir," cried Robert wildly, "it amounts to this: we are using Myra as a lure!"
"In order to save her, Rob—simply in order to save her," retorted Dr. Cairn sternly.
"How ill she looks," groaned the other; "how pale and worn. There are great shadows under her eyes—oh! I cannot bear to think about her!"
"When was he last there?"
"Apparently some ten days ago. You may depend upon him to be aware of our return! He will not come there again, sir. But there are other ways in which he might reach her—does he not command a whole shadow army! And Mr. Saunderson is entirely unsuspicious—and Myra thinks of the fiend as a brother! Yet—she has never once spoken of him. I wonder...."