Lillian looked at me keenly, then smiled.

“Can’t you guess?” she asked significantly.

“You mean you put something in the mulled wine to make me sleep?”

“Of course.  You have been through enough for any one woman.  Dicky was in no danger, and I had no desire to have you ill on my hands.”

I flushed a bit resentfully.  I was not quite sure that I liked her high-handed way of disposing of me as if I were a child.  Then as I felt her keen eyes upon me I knew that she was reading my thoughts, and I felt mightily ashamed of my childish petulance.

“You must forgive my arbitrary way of doing things,” she resumed, a bit formally.

I put out my hand pleadingly.  “Don’t, Lillian,” I said earnestly.  “I’ll be good, and I do thank you.  You know that, don’t you?”

Her face cleared.  “Of course, goosie,” she answered.  “But I must help you dress.  Your breakfast will be here in a moment.”

I sprang out of bed before she could prevent me, and gave her a regular “bear hug.”

“Help me dress!” I exclaimed indignantly.  “Indeed, you will do no such thing.  I feel as strong as ever, and I am going to put you to bed before I go to Dicky.  But tell me, how is—­”

She spared me from speaking the name I so dreaded.

“Miss Draper is no worse.  Indeed, Dr. Pettit thinks she has rallied slightly this morning.  She is resting easily now, has been since about 3 o’clock, when Dr. Pettit went home.”

I was hurrying into my clothes as she talked.  “Have you found out yet how it happened?” I asked.

“I know what Harry does,” she answered.  “He says that yesterday the girl appeared as calm, even cheerful, as ever, went with him to the manager’s office, performed her dancing stunt as cleverly as she did the other night, and in response to the very good offer the manager made her, asked for a day to consider it.  As she was leaving the office, she asked Harry if Dicky were in his studio, saying she had left there something she prized highly and would like to get it.  Something in the way she said it made Harry suspicious.  Of course, I had told him confidentially of her attempt to drown you, so he remarked nonchalantly that he was also going to the studio.  He said she seemed nonplussed for a moment, then coolly accepted his escort.

“They went to the studio, and Harry stuck close to Dicky, never permitting the Draper girl to be alone with him for a minute.  After a few moments she bade them a commonplace goodby and left, but she must have stayed near by and cleverly shadowed them when they left.

“At any rate, she appeared at the door of our house shortly after Harry and Dicky had entered—­Harry wanted to get some things before coming out to Marvin again—­and asked Betty to see Dicky.  Unfortunately, Harry was in his rooms and did not hear the request, so that Dicky went into the little sitting room off the hall with her, and Betty says the girl herself closed the door.  What was said no one knows but Dicky and the girl.