“Somebody coming to call.  I won’t see anybody,” and he rang the bell.  “I am not at home to anybody.”

“But, Sir Owen, Mr. Dean—­”

“Mr. Dean!” And Owen stood aghast, wondering what could have brought Ulick back again.

“Are you at home to Mr. Dean, sir?”

“Yes, yes,” and at the same moment he caught sight of Ulick coming across the hall.  “What has happened?” he said as soon as the door was closed.

“She tried to poison herself last night.”

“Tried to poison herself!  But she is not dead?”

“No, she’s not dead, and will recover.”

“Tried to poison herself!”

“Yes, that is what I came back to tell you.  We were to have met at the station, but she didn’t turn up; and, after waiting for a quarter of an hour, I felt something must have happened, and drove to Ayrdale Mansions.”

“Tried to kill herself!”

“I’m afraid I have no time to tell you the story.  Merat will be able to tell it to you better than I. I must get away by the next train.  There is no danger; she will recover.”

“You say she will recover?” and Owen drew his hands across his eyes.  “I’m afraid I can hardly understand.”

“But if you will just take a cab and go up to Ayrdale Mansions, you will find Merat, who will tell you everything.”

“Yes, yes.  You are sure she will recover?”

“Quite.”

“But you—­you are going away?”

“I have to, unless I give up my appointment.  Of course, I should like to stay behind; but there is no danger, absolutely none, only an overdose of chloral.”

“She suffered a great deal from sleeplessness.  Perhaps it was an accident.”

Ulick did not answer, and the elder man drove in one direction and the younger in another.

“Merat, this is terrible!”

“Won’t you come into the drawing-room, Sir Owen?”

“She is in no danger?”

“No, Sir Owen.”

“Can I see her?”

“Yes, of course, Sir Owen; but she is still asleep, and the doctor says she will not be able to understand or recognise anybody for some hours.  You will see her if you call later.”

“Yes, I’ll call later; but first of all, tell me, Merat, when was the discovery made?”

“She left a letter for me to say she was not to be called, and knowing she had gone out for many hours, and finding her clothes and her boots wet through, I thought it better not to disturb her.  Of course, I never suspected anything until Mr. Dean came.”

“Yes, she was to meet him at the station.”  And as he said these words he remembered that Merat must know of Evelyn’s intimacy with Ulick.  She must have been watching it for the last month, and no doubt already connected Evelyn’s attempted suicide in some way with Mr. Dean, but the fact that they had arranged to meet at the railway station did not point to a betrayal.

“There was no quarrel between them, then, Sir Owen?”