“It is the same wound as Father’s!” Then she laid my hand down gently but quickly, and said to me and to Sergeant Daw: 

“Come to my room!  Silvio is there in his basket.”  We followed her, and found Silvio sitting in his basket awake.  He was licking his paws.  The Detective said: 

“He is there sure enough; but why licking his paws?”

Margaret—­Miss Trelawny—­gave a moan as she bent over and took one of the forepaws in her hand; but the cat seemed to resent it and snarled.  At that Mrs. Grant came into the room.  When she saw that we were looking at the cat she said: 

“The Nurse tells me that Silvio was asleep on Nurse Kennedy’s bed ever since you went to your Father’s room until a while ago.  He came there just after you had gone to master’s room.  Nurse says that Nurse Kennedy is moaning and muttering in her sleep as though she had a nightmare.  I think we should send for Dr. Winchester.”

“Do so at once, please!” said Miss Trelawny; and we went back to the room.

For a while Miss Trelawny stood looking at her father, with her brows wrinkled.  Then, turning to me, as though her mind were made up, she said: 

“Don’t you think we should have a consultation on Father?  Of course I have every confidence in Doctor Winchester; he seems an immensely clever young man.  But he is a young man; and there must be men who have devoted themselves to this branch of science.  Such a man would have more knowledge and more experience; and his knowledge and experience might help to throw light on poor Father’s case.  As it is, Doctor Winchester seems to be quite in the dark.  Oh!  I don’t know what to do.  It is all so terrible!” Here she broke down a little and cried; and I tried to comfort her.

Doctor Winchester arrived quickly.  His first thought was for his patient; but when he found him without further harm, he visited Nurse Kennedy.  When he saw her, a hopeful look came into his eyes.  Taking a towel, he dipped a corner of it in cold water and flicked on the face.  The skin coloured, and she stirred slightly.  He said to the new nurse—­ Sister Doris he called her: 

“She is all right.  She will wake in a few hours at latest.  She may be dizzy and distraught at first, or perhaps hysterical.  If so, you know how to treat her.”

“Yes, sir!” answered Sister Doris demurely; and we went back to Mr. Trelawny’s room.  As soon as we had entered, Mrs. Grant and the Nurse went out so that only Doctor Winchester, Miss Trelawny, and myself remained in the room.  When the door had been closed Doctor Winchester asked me as to what had occurred.  I told him fully, giving exactly every detail so far as I could remember.  Throughout my narrative, which did not take long, however, he kept asking me questions as to who had been present and the order in which each one had come into the room.  He asked other things, but nothing of any importance; these were all that took my attention, or remained in my memory.  When our conversation was finished, he said in a very decided way indeed, to Miss Trelawny: