beat him—beat him—beat him and his family; all of them; she beat them all. But she couldn't find you and she couldn't—" the housekeeper stopped. "Listen!" she appealed again, steadying herself. "She found you last fall, I told you; then that happened! And they thought she was dead; so she let them think she was dead, to beat them—beat them so they could never down her again. But he did it. He came here the other day; that day Ethel Carew left—remember?"
"I remember," Barney said.
"He thinks he's safe now; for he's beaten you both. But he's not beaten her. He thinks he has; for he thinks she is dead. But she's going to get well and fight him for you and for her. She told them to cure her or kill her that day after he came here; so they took her to the table again. And now I must tell her what I've done; I've brought you to see her. So she'll send for you soon; she'll tell you what she should; trust her and wait!"
The housekeeper stood back from him; and Barney found within him no will to make further demands upon her, except:
"There is one thing I can ask you and you can tell me, I think, without breaking trust, Mrs. Wain. When I was in London last October, was she also there?"
"Yes, Mr. Dick."
"I received, at that time, communication through a medium which told me a good deal about myself; was she concerned in that?"
"Once," said Mrs. Wain. "Once she sent word to you through a medium; she thought she was going to die; she was herself in terrible pain—horrible, Mr. Dick, and constant. She knew you were near; but she
