“Ihaveafriend，“Hamelanswered，“whowillseetothat。“
“Ifyouarerelyinguponthelaw，“shesaid，“Ithinkyouwillfindthatthelawcannottouchhim。Mr。Dunsterwasbroughttothehouseinaperfectlynaturalmanner。Hewascertainlyinjured，andinjuredinarailwayaccident。DoctorSarsonisafullyqualifiedsurgeon，andhewilldeclarethatMr。Dunsterwasunfittotravel。
Ifnecessary，theywillhavedestroyed`theman’sintelligence。Ifyouthinkthatyouhavehimbroken，letmewarnyouthatyoumaybedisappointed。Letme，ifImay，giveyouonewordofadvice。“
“Pleasedo，“Hamelbegged。
Shelookedathimcoldly。Hertonewasstillfreefromanysortofemotion。
“Youhavetakenupsomesortofpositionhere，“shecontinued，“asafriendofMrs。SeymourFentolin，afriendofthefamily。Don’tletthemcomebackundertheyoke。Youknowthesecretoftheirbondage？“
“Iknowit，“headmitted。
“Theyhavebeenhisslavesbecausetheirabsoluteobediencetohiswillwasoneoftheconditionsofhissecrecy。Hehasdrawnthecordstootight。Betterletthetruthbeknown，ifneedsbe，thanhavetheirthreelivesbroken。Don’tletthemgobackunderhisgovernance。Forme，Icannottell。Ifhecomesback，ashewillcomeback，Imaybecomehisslaveagain，butletthembreakaway。
Listen-thatisMrs。Fentolin。“
Shelefthim。Hamelfollowedheroutintothehail。Estherandhermotherwerealreadyatthefootofthestairs。Hedrewthemintothestudy。Esthergavehimherhands，butshewastremblingineverylimb。
“Iamterrified！“shewhispered。“EverymomentIthinkIcanheartheclickofthatawfulcarriage。Hewillcomeback；Iamsurehewillcomeback！“
“Hemay，“Hamelansweredsturdily，“butnevertomakeyoupeoplehisslavesagain。Youhavedoneenough。Youhaveearnedyourfreedom。“
“Iagree，“Mrs。Fentolinsaidfirmly。“Wehavegoneonfromsacrificetosacrifice，untilithasbecomeahabitwithustoconsiderhimthemasterofourbodiesandoursouls。To-day，Esther，wehavereachedthebreakingpoint。Notevenforthesakeofthatmessagefromtheothersideofthegrave，noteventopreservehishonourandhismemory，canwedomore。“
Hamelhelduphisfinger。HeopenedtheFrenchwindows，andtheyfollowedhimoutontotheterrace。Thegreydawnhadbrokennowoverthesea。Thereweregleamsoffitfulsunshineonthemarshes。
Somedistanceawayalargemotor-carwascomingrapidlyalongtheroad。
Mr。JohnP。Dunster，lyingflatuponhislittlebed，watchedwithdilatedeyesthedisappearanceoftheladder。Thenhelaughed。Itwasaqueersound-broken，spasmodic，devoidofanyoftheordinaryelementsofhumor-andyetitwasalaugh。Mr。Fentolinturnedhisheadtowardshisprisonerandnoddedthoughtfully。
“Whataconstitution，myfriend！“heexclaimed，withoutanytraceofdisturbanceinhisvoice。“Andwhatasenseofhumour！Strangethatatriflingcircumstancelikethisshouldaffectit。Meekins，burnsomemoreofthepowder。Theatmospheredownheremaybesalubrious，butIamunaccustomedtoit。“
“Perhaps，“Mr。Dunstersaidinahollowtone，youwillhavesomeopportunitynowofdiscoveringwithmewhatitislike。“
“That，too，isjustpossible，“Mr。Fentolinadmitted，blowingoutalittlevolumeofsmokefromacigarettewhichhehadjustlit，“butoneneverknows。Wehavefriends，andourposition，although，Imustadmit，alittleridiculous，iseasilyremedied。Buthowthatmischief-makingMr。Hamelcouldhavefoundhiswayintotheboat-housedoes，Imustconfess，perplexme。“
“Hemusthavebeenhangingaroundandfollowedusinwhenwecame，“
Meekinsmuttered。“Somehow，IfanciedIfeltsomeonenear。“
“Ouryoungfriend，“Mr。Fentolincontinued，has，withoutdoubt，anobviousturnofmind。HewillsendforhisacquaintanceintheForeignOffice；theywillhauloutMr。Dunsterhere，andhewillhaveabelatedopportunityofdeliveringhismessageatTheHague。“
“Youaren’tgoingtomurdermefirst，then？“Mr。Dunstergrunted。
Mr。Fentolinsmiledathimbenignly。
“Mydearandvaluedguest，“heprotested，“whysoforbiddinganidea？Letmeassureyoufromthebottomofmyheartthatanybodilyharmtoyouisthemostunlikelythingintheworld。Yousee，thoughyoumightnotthinkit，“hewenton，“Ilovelife。ThatiswhyIkeepadoctoralwaysbymyside。ThatiswhyIinsistuponhismakingacompletestudyofmyconstitutionandtreatingmeineveryrespectasthoughIwereindeedaninvalid。Iamreallyonlyfifty-nineyearsold。ItismyintentiontoliveuntilIameighty-nine。Anoffenceagainstthelawofthenatureyouindicatemightinterferemateriallywithmyintentions。“
Mr。Dunsterstruggledforamomentforbreath。
“Lookhere，“hesaid，“that’sallright，butdoyousupposeyouwon’tbepunishedforwhatyou’vedonetome？YoulaidadeliberateplottobringmetoSt。David’sHall；you’vekeptmelockedup，dosedmewithdrugs，broughtmedownhereatthedeadofnight，keptmeaprisonerinadungeon。Doyouthinkyoucandothatfornothing？Doyouthinkyouwon’thavetosufferforit？“
Mr。Fentolinsmiled。
“MydearMr。Dunster，“heremindedhim，youwereinarailwayaccident，youknow；thereisnopossibledoubtaboutthat。Andthewoundinyourheadisstillthere，inaverydangerousplace。Menwhohavebeeninrailwayaccidents，andwhohaveagapingwoundveryclosetotheirbrain，aresubjecttodelusions。IhavesimplydonemybesttoplaytheGoodSamaritan。Yourclothesandpapersarealluntouched。Ifmyeminentphysicianhadpronouncedyoureadytotravelaweekago，youwouldcertainlyhavebeenallowedtodepartaweekago。Anyinterferenceinyourmovementshasbeenentirelyintheinterestsofyourhealth。“
Mr。Dunstertriedtositupbutfoundhimselfunable。
“Soyouthinktheywon’tbelievemystory，eh？“hemuttered。“Well，weshallsee。“
Mr。Fentolinthoughtfullycontemplatedtheburningendofhiscigaretteforamoment。
“IfIbelieved，“hesaid，“thattherewasanychanceofyourstatementsbeingaccepted，IamafraidIshouldbecompelled，inallourinterests，toaskDoctorSarsontopursuejustastepfurtherthatexperimentintotheanatomyofyourbrainwithwhichhehasalreadytrifled。“
Mr。Dunster’sfacewassuddenlyghastly。Hisreserveofstrengthseemedtoebbaway。Thememoryofsomehorriblemomentseemedtoholdhiminitsclutches。
“ForGod’ssake，leavemealone！“hemoaned。“Letmegetaway，that’sall；letmecrawlaway！“
“Ah！“Mr。Fentolinmurmured。“Thatsoundsmuchmorereasonable。
Whenyoutalklikethat，myfriend。Ifeelindeedthatthereishopeforyou。Letusabandonthissubjectforthepresent。Haveyousolvedthepuzzleyet？“heaskedMeekins。
Meekinswasstandingbelowtheclosedtrap-door。Hehadalreadydraggedupawoodencaseunderneathandwaspilingitwithvariousarticlesoffurniture。
“Notyet，sir，“hereplied。“WhenIhavemadethissteadier，I
amjustgoingtoseewhatpressureIcanbringtobearonthetrap-door。“
“Iheardtheboltsgo，“DoctorSarsonremarkeduneasily。
“Inthatcase，“Mr。Fentolindeclared，“itwillindeedbeaninterestingtestofourfriendMeekins’boastedstrength。Meekinsholdshisplace-averydesirableplace，too-chieflyfortworeasons:firsthisdiscretionandsecondlyhismuscles。Hehasneverbeforehadarealopportunityoftestingthelatter。Weshallsee。“
DoctorSarsoncameslowlyandgravelytothebedside。Helookeddownuponhispatient。Mr。Dunstershivered。
“Iamnotsure，sir，“hesaidverysoftly，“thatMr。Dunster，inhispresentstateofmind，isaverysafepersontobeallowedhisfreedom。Itistruethatwehavekepthimhereforhisownsake，becauseofhisfitsofmentalwandering。Ourstatements，however，maybedoubted。Anapparentreturntosanityonhispartmaylendcolourtohisaccusations，especiallyifpermanent。Perhapsitwouldbeaswelltopursuethatinvestigationashadefurther。A
touchmoretotheleftandIdonotthinkthatMr。Dunsterwillremembermuchinthisworldlikelytoaffectus。“
Mr。Dunster’sfacewaslikemarble。Therewerebeadsofperspirationuponhisforehead，hiseyeswerefilledwithreminiscenthorror。Mr。
Fentolinbentoverhimwithgenuineinterest。
“Whatapicturehewouldmake！“hemurmured。“Whatadrama！Doyouknow，Iamhalfinclinedtoagreewithyou，Sarson。Theonlytroubleisthatyouhavenotyourinstrumentshere。“
“Icouldimprovisesomethingthatwoulddothetrick，“thedoctorsaidthoughtfully。“Itreallyisn’tacomplicatedaffair。Itseemstomethathisstorymaygaincredencefromtheveryfactofourbeingdiscoveredinthisextraordinaryplace。Tohavemovedhimherewasamistake，sir。“
“Perhapsso，“Mr。Fentolinadmitted，withasigh。“ItwasouryoungfriendMr。Hamelwhowasresponsibleforit。Ifanciedhimarrivingwithasearchwarrantatanymoment。Wewillbearinmindyoursuggestionforafewminutes。LetuswatchMeekins。Thispromisestobeinteresting。“
Bydintofpilingtogetherallthefurnitureintheplace，themanwasnowabletoreachthetrap-door。Hepresseduponitvigorouslywithoutevenbendingthewood。Mr。Fentolinsmiledpleasantly。
“Meekins，“hesaid，“lookatme。“
