I slept soundly, when I was awakened by a cry and saw
Kitty standing beside the bed and Selina in convulsions; then she
became quite still and lay like that till you came. What is the
cause?'
'Apoplexy,' replied the doctor, doubtfully; 'at least, judging from
the symptoms; but perhaps Miss Marchurst can tell us when the attack
came on?'
He turned to Kitty, who was shivering in the chair and looked so
pale that Madame Midas went over to her to see what was the matter.
The girl, however, shrank away with a cry as the elder woman
approached, and rising to her feet moved unsteadily towards the
doctor.
'You say she,' pointing to the body, 'died of apoplexy?'
'Yes,' he answered, curtly, 'all the symptoms of apoplexy are
there.'
'You are wrong!' gasped Kitty, laying her hand on his arm, 'it is
poison!'
'Poison!' echoed Madame and the Doctor in surprise.
'Listen,' said Kitty, quickly, pulling herself together by a great
effort. 'I came home from the ball between two and three, I entered
the room to go to my own,' pointing to the other door; 'I did not
know Selina was with Madame.'
'No,' said Madame, quietly, 'that is true, I only asked her to stop
at the last moment.'
'I was going quietly to bed,' resumed Kitty, hurriedly, 'in order
not to waken Madame, when I saw the portrait of M. Vandeloup on the
table; I took it up to look at it.
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