The blaze was gone, and the fire was at its old flicker. The
window was not bolted. He lifted the sash. A moment and he was
in. The next, Mary was beside him.
Something, known to her only as an impulse, induced Mary to go
softly to the door of the closet, and peep into the room. She saw
Hesper, as she thought, standing--sidewise to the closet--by a
chest of drawers invisible from the bed. A candle stood on the
farther side of her. She held in one hand the tumbler from which,
repeatedly that evening, Mary had given the patient his medicine:
into this she was pouring, with an appearance of care, something
from a small dark bottle.
With a sudden suspicion of foul play, Mary glided swiftly into
the room, and on to where she stood. It was Sepia! She started
with a smothered shriek, turned white, and almost dropped the
bottle; then, seeing who it was, recovered herself. But such a
look as she cast on Mary! such a fire of hate as throbbed out of
those great black eyes! Mary thought for a moment she would dart
at her. But she turned away, and walked swiftly to the door.
Joseph, however, peeping in behind Mary, had caught a glimpse of
the bottle and tumbler, also of Sepia's face. Seeing her now
retiring with the bottle in her hand, he sprang after her, and,
thanks to the fact that she had locked the door, was in time to
snatch it from her. She turned like a wild beast, and a terrible
oath came hissing as from a feline throat.
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