My eyes followed hers to the bed where Dr. Pettit stood gazing down upon the seemingly unconscious girl and speaking in measured, merciless fashion.

“This won’t do, my girl,” he was saying, and his tone and manner of address seemed in some subtle fashion to strip all semblance of dignity from the girl and leave her simply a “case” of the doctor’s, of a type only too familiar to him.

“It won’t do,” he repeated.  “You are simply shamming this delirium, and you are lessening your chances for life every minute you persist in it.  I’m sorry to be hard on you, but I’m going to give you an ultimatum right now.  Either you will release Mrs. Graham from her promise at once and quit this nonsense, or I shall call an officer, report the truth of this occurrence, and you will be arrested not only upon a charge of attempted suicide, but of attempted murder.

“Of course, you will then be removed to the jail hospital, where I am afraid you may not enjoy the skilful care you are getting now.  And, if you live, the after effects of these charges will be exceedingly unpleasant for you.”

My heart almost stopped beating as I listened to the physician’s relentless words.

Suppose Dr. Pettit was mistaken and the girl should be really delirious, after all.  But just as I had reached the point of torturing doubt hardly to be borne, the girl stopped her delirious muttering, opened her eyes and looted steadily up at the physician.

“You devil,” she said, at last, with quiet malignity.  “You’ve called the turn.  I throw up my hands.”

“I thought so.”  This was the physician’s only response.  He stood quietly waiting while the girl gazed steadily, unwinkingly at him.

“Tell me,” she said at last, coolly, “am I going to die?”

“I do not know,” the physician returned, as coolly.  “You have a slight temperature, and I am afraid infection has developed.  But I can tell you that your performance of the last hour or two has not helped your chances any.  You must be perfectly quiet and obedient, conserve every bit of strength if you wish to live.”

“How about that very chivalric threat you made just now,” the girl retorted, sneeringly.  “If I live, are you going to have me arrested for this thing?”

“Not if you behave yourself and promise to make no more trouble,” the physician replied gravely.

There was another long silence.  The girl lay with eyes closed.  The physician stood watching her keenly.  Presently she opened her eyes again.

“Call Mrs. Graham over here,” she said peremptorily.

“What are you going to say to her?” the physician shot back.

“That’s my business and hers,” Miss Draper returned, with a flash of her old spirit.  “If you want a release from that promise you’d better let her come over here, otherwise I’ll hold her to it.”

Disregarding Lillian’s clutch upon my arm I moved swiftly to the side of the bed and looked down into the sick girl’s eyes, brilliant with fever.