I put my finger to my lips, as Beresford stirred again.
"He's waking."
We were sitting in a line with his head and outside his field of vision, unless he raised himself on his elbow, which at present he was incapable of doing. We saw his eyes open and close again, open and close again, the opening each time growing brisker than the faint closing, until he was strong enough to stare about him and take in two-thirds of the room. I saw wonder dawning in his face as he found himself unexpectedly in familiar surroundings; he carried his hand to his head in the effort to remember how he had got there; then his fingers mechanically slid down to his throat, and I watched him gingerly exploring certain purple marks. Abruptly his eyes closed for another long quiescence, but he was gaining strength and at the next opening he dragged himself unsteadily to a sitting posture, clapped both hands to his temples and slowly turned his head until he had brought the whole room under observation.
"Where's Sonia?" he demanded abruptly, looking at me with flickering eyelids.
"She's not here at the moment," I answered.
He stared uncomprehendingly until a pain at the bruised back of his head made him wince and despatch one hand to assess the danger.
"How long——" He winced again. "How long have I been here?"
"Since last night," I told him. "You had a fall."
He continued to stare at me without comprehension and then grew suddenly indignant.
"Had a fall?" he repeated. "I didn't have a fall. What d'you mean? It's all coming back to me now. I was dining—I don't know where I was dining, but afterwards I thought I'd come round and see Sonia.... Why did O'Rane attack me like that? Was he mad?"