"I took good care of the lady."

"Yes, we know that."

"Did she escape from her husband?"

"He was not her husband. But now tell me all you know about these
people; the more truthful you are the better it will be for you."

The old woman was so frightened that she could scarcely find
strength to talk. When she finally got control of herself again
she began: "He came here on the first of November and rented this
room for himself. But he was here only twice before he brought the
lady and left her alone here. She was very ill when he brought her
here - so ill that he had to carry her upstairs. I wanted to go
for a doctor, but he said he was a doctor himself, and that he could
take care of his wife, who often had such attacks. He gave me some
medicine for her after I had put her to bed. I gave her the drops,
but it was a long while before she came to herself again.

"Then he told me that she had lost her mind, and that she believed
everybody was trying to harm her. She was so bad that he was taking
her to an asylum. But he hadn't found quite the right place yet,
and wanted me to keep her here until he knew where he could take her.
Once he left a revolver here by mistake. But I hid it so the lady
wouldn't see it, and gave it to the gentleman the next time he
came. He was angry at that, though I couldn't see why, and said I
shouldn't have touched it."

The woman had told her story with much hesitation, and stopped