And if I can act, I shall do so. If his insanity is too sharp for
me, as it may well be, I shall be checkmated in any effort to forcibly
keep him from doing harm. In that case I can only trust to you, and
hope that some chance circumstance may lead to the opening of Julian's
eyes. But they are closed--closed fast. In any case you will help me and
I will help you. You shall have opportunities of meeting Julian often. I
will arrange that. And Cresswell--"
He paused as if in deep thought.
"How to do it," he murmured, almost to himself. "How to bring this battle
to the issue!"
Then he turned his eyes on Cuckoo.
She was sitting bolt upright in the carriage. Her cheeks were flushed.
Her hollow eyes were sparkling. She had drawn her hands out from under
the rug and clasped them together in her lap.
"Oh, I'll do anything I can," she said, "anything. And--and I can do that
one thing!"
"Yes," said the doctor. "Which?"
"The thing that he asked me once, and what I said no to," she answered,
but in such a low murmur that the doctor scarcely caught the words.
He leaned forward in the carriage.
"Home now, Grant," he said to the coachman. "Or--no--drive first to 400
Marylebone Road."
The doctor turned again towards Cuckoo.
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