XXVIII.
TAKEN ABACK.
One incident more and this portion of my story is at an end. My poorpatient, sicker than she had been the night before, left me but littleleisure for thought or action disconnected with my care for her. Buttowards morning she grew quieter, and finding in an open drawer thosetangled threads of yarn of which I have spoken, I began to rewind them,out of a natural desire to see everything neat and orderly about me. Ihad nearly finished my task when I heard a strange noise from the bed.It was a sort of gurgling cry which I found hard to interpret, but whichonly stopped when I laid my work down again. Manifestly this sick girlhad very nervous fancies.
When I went down to breakfast the next morning, I was in that complacentstate of mind natural to a woman who feels that her abilities haveasserted themselves and that she would soon receive a recognition of thesame at the hands of the one person for whose commendation she hadchiefly been working. The identification of Miss Oliver by the Chinamanwas the last link in the chain connecting her with the Mrs. James Popewho had accompanied Mr. Van Burnam to his father's house in GramercyPark, and though I would fain have had the murdered woman's rings toshow, I was contented enough with the discoveries I had made to wish forthe hour which would bring me face to face with the detective.
But a surprise awaited me at the breakfast table in the shape of acommunication from that gentleman. It had just been brought from myhouse by Lena, and it ran thus:
"DEAR MISS BUTTERWORTH:
"Pardon our interference. _We_ have found the rings which you think so conclusive an evidence of guilt against the person secreting them; and, _with your permission_ [this was basely underlined], Mr. Franklin Van Burnam will be in custody to-day.
"I will wait upon you at ten.
"Respectfully yours,
"EBENEZAR GRYCE."
_Franklin Van Burnam!_ Was I dreaming? _Franklin_ Van Burnam accused ofthis crime and in custody! What did it mean? I had found no evidenceagainst Franklin Van Burnam.
_BOOK III_.
THE GIRL IN GRAY.