“But how could she have gone through the bolted door then?”

“That door may have been set in another, larger by half the frame or so, and opening with a spring and concealed hinges.  There is no difficulty about that.  There are such places to be found now and then in old houses.  But, indeed, if you will excuse me, I do not consider your testimony, on every minute particular, quite satisfactory.”

“Why?” asked Hugh, rather offended.

“First, because of the state of excitement you must have been in; and next, because I doubt the wine that was left in your room.  The count no doubt knew enough of drugs to put a few ghostly horrors into the decanter.  But poor Miss Cameron!  The horrors he has put into her mind and life!  It is a sad fate —­ all but a sentence of insanity.”

Hugh sprang to his feet.

“By heaven!” he cried, “I will strangle the knave.”

“Stop, stop!” said Falconer.  “No revenge!  Leave him to the sleeping divinity within him, which will awake one day, and complete the hell that he is now building for himself —­ for the very fire of hell is the divine in it.  Your work is to set Euphra free.  If you did strangle him, how do you know if that would free her from him?”

“Horrible! —­ Have you no news of him?”

“None whatever.”

“What, then, can I do for her?”

“You must teach her to foil him.”

“How am I to do that?  Even if I knew how, I cannot see her, I cannot speak to her.”

“I have a great faith in opportunity.”

“But how should she foil him?”

“She must pray to God to redeem her fettered will —­ to strengthen her will to redeem herself.  She must resist the count, should he again claim her submission (as, for her sake, I hope he will), as she would the devil himself.  She must overcome.  Then she will be free —­ not before.  This will be very hard to do.  His power has been excessive and peculiar, and her submission long and complete.  Even if he left her alone, she would not therefore be free.  She must defy him; break his bonds; oppose his will; assert her freedom; and defeat him utterly.”

“Oh! who will help her?  I have no power.  Even if I were with her, I could not help her in such a struggle.  I wish David were not dead.  He was the man. —­ You could now, Mr. Falconer.”

“No.  Except I knew her, had known her for some time, and had a strong hold of all her nature, I could not, would not try to help her.  If Providence brought this about, I would do my best; but otherwise I would not interfere.  But if she pray to God, he will give her whatever help she needs, and in the best way, too.”

“I think it would be some comfort to her if we could find the ring —­ the crystal, I mean.”

“It would be more, I think, if we could find the diamond.”

“How can we find either?”

“We must find the count first.  I have not given that up, of course.  I will tell you what I should like to do, if I knew the lady.”