I told Peter that he had done quite right in telling me this, and begged him not to mention it to any one else until I gave him permission to do so.  I went back to Milly’s room directly afterwards, and waited there for Mr. Hale’s coming.

While I was taking my breakfast, Mrs. Darrell came to make her usual inquiries.  I ran into the dressing-room to meet her.  While she was questioning me about the invalid, I saw her look at the table where the medicine had always been until that morning, and I knew that she missed the bottle.

After she had made her inquiries, she stood for a few moments hesitating, and then said abruptly,

’I should like to see Mr. Hale when he comes this morning.  I want to hear what he says about his patient.  He will be here almost immediately, I suppose; so I will stay in Milly’s room till he comes.’

She went into the bedroom, bent over the invalid for a few minutes, talking in a gentle sympathetic voice, and then took her place by the bedside.  It was evident to me that she had suspected something from the removal of the medicine, and that she intended to prevent my seeing Mr. Hale alone.

‘You took your medicine regularly last night, I suppose, Milly?’ she inquired presently, when I had seated myself at a little table by the window and was sipping my tea.

’I don’t think you gave me quite so many doses last night, did you, Mary?’ said the invalid, in her feeble voice.  ’I fancy you were more merciful than usual.’

’It was very wrong of Miss Crofton to neglect your medicine.  Mr. Hale will be extremely angry when he hears of it.’

‘I do not think Milly will be much worse for the omission,’ I answered quietly.

After this we sat silently waiting for the doctor’s appearance.  He came in about a quarter of an hour, and pronounced himself better pleased with his patient than he had been the night before.  There had been a modification of the more troublesome symptoms of the fever towards morning.

I told him of my omission to give the medicine.

‘That was very wrong,’ he said.

’Yet you see she had a better night, Mr. Hale.  I suppose that medicine was intended to modify those attacks of sickness from which she has suffered so much?’

‘To prevent them altogether, if possible.’

’That is very strange.  It really appears to me that the medicine always increases the tendency to sickness.’

Mr. Hale shook his head impatiently.

‘You don’t know what you are talking about, Miss Crofton,’ he said.

‘May I say a few words to you alone, if you please?’

Mrs. Darrell rose, with a hurried anxious look.

‘What can you have to say to Mr. Hale alone, Miss Crofton?’ she asked.

‘It is about herself, perhaps,’ said the doctor kindly.  ’I have told her all along that she would be knocked up by this nursing; and now I daresay she begins to find I am right.’