in calf, and interleaved with blotting-paper, in
his hand when he entered the shop, and as he
stood apart in close commune with the chemist,
many a wandering glance, both on the part of
the assistants behind and the customers before
the counter, was directed towards the two.

"And so you let the lady 'ave it merely for the
hasking ?" remarked the constable.

"Yes, sir, such being our custom when we
know the party."

"When you know the party," echoed the
policeman, "and not otherwise?"

"On no account otherwise," replied the
chemist.

"And this party you did know?"

"Oh dear yes, sir. The lady's dealt here
scores and scores of times."

"But not for hopium?" urged the myrmidon
of justice.

"No, sir; this was the first occasion of her
making such a purchase."

The policeman waited a little while, and looked
over the notes which he had made, appearing
very well satisfied with them. Presently he
spoke again, as if making a final inquiry.

"And did the lady state what she wanted it
for?"

"External use, sir, as I said. The lady had
passed many years of her life in a very hot
climate, and it seemed that the change to our
damp atmosphere and cold affected her with
pains about the arms and shoulders, which she
found were relieved by rubbing with laudanum,
more than by any other means."

"Ha," said the policeman, "that was what
she said, was it?"

"That was it, sir. So I made her up the
two ounces and let her have it, merely cautioning
her to keep it shut up, and out of the way
of any person who might be injured by it. I
bade her be particularly careful that way,”
remarked the chemist, afraid of getting into a
scrape.

The policeman seemed now to have gained all
the information that was necessary, and shut up
his book.

"We shall most likely want you to repeat
what you have just said in evidence, in the
course of a day or two," he remarked, "so you'd
better hold yourself in readiness."

"I'm not likely to get into any trouble about
it, am I?" asked the druggist.

The policeman took time to consider the
question, keeping the druggist in a state of
agonising uncertainty the while.

"Not that I can see at present," he said at
last; "but I can't say for certain."

The discovery of this purchase of laudanum
on the part of Mrs.Penmore—a discovery due
rather to Jane Cantanker's vigilance than that of
the police authorities—altered the whole posture
of affairs, and added so much to the strength of
the evidence against Gabrielle, as to justify the
adoption of such measures as might tend to
decide at once the question of her guilt or
innocence.

With this view, and without loss of time, a
warrant was obtained, and under its authority a
search was instituted, having for its object the
discovery of that bottle in which the laudanum
sold by the chemist had been contained, and of
which so minute a description had been given.

And now, indeed, the case did begin to wear
a sinister aspect, and great and serious alarm for
Gabrielle's safety began to weigh upon her
husband's heart. She was suspected of a crime.
One step more, and she might be accused. The
ministers of justice were on her track. What a
thought it was that these men should have the
right to come into the house, into her room even,
to invade the sacred precincts of her bed-chamber,
and that he, her husband, must stand by
and allow it, must remain inactive while the
household goods were subjected to desecration.
Yet it was so. Resistance was useless, and
worse than useless. It might aggravate the
evil, it could not palliate it.

As for Gabrielle herself, she seemed for the
time entirely crushed and paralysed by the horror
of her situation. All force, all presence of mind
had for the time deserted her. She seemed to
herself, and looked to others, like one who lived
and moved in a dream—a dream, and a most
horrible one, and from which she did not wake.

It was piteous to see how she clung to her
husband too, in the fulness of her misery, with
a sort of mechanical feeling that he could save
and help her. She followed him about. She
dared not let him out of her sight. She held to
his arm as if she dreaded lest they should take
him from her. She looked up into his face for
some sign of encouragement, some indication
that he at least knew that there would soon be
an awakening from the horrible dream. She
stood outside the room door while the men were
conducting the search within. Her husband
was in there with them.

"What are they doing, Gilbert?" she asked,
when presently he came out to speak to her, and
comfort her.

Gilbert told her of their search, and what it
was they looked for;

Sometimes it did almost seem as if her head
had given way under the heavy pressure, and could
now receive no distinct impression of anything.
There were times when she no longer appeared
to realise her danger, and yet other times, and
these oftenest in the grey early morning, when
it seemed to be borne in upon her with an almost
exaggerated force, and an anguish that was
unbearable. It was a horrible thing to wake to
this, so horrible that sometimes the wildest
schemes would come into her head in connexion
with her situation.

She would at these times entreat her husband
to fly with her before it was too late; "while
there is time, while yet there is time," she would
cry, "let us go. Far away, Gilbert dear, far from
this dreadful place. We two could be so happy
among the woods and rocks, away from wicked
cruel men and women, happy and safe. Come,
Gilbert, come, if we steal away now in the early
morning, nobody will see us. I am afraid,"she
would say at such times, "I am afraid of that