"She ain't dead," he greeted us in a stage whisper; and then drew us into the reception-room to explain his secretive manner. "Nobody in the house except Sproot and O'Brien knows about this poisoning yet. Sproot found her, and then pulled down all the front curtains in this room—which was the signal agreed on. When Doc Drumm hopped across Sproot was waiting with the door open, and took him up-stairs without anybody seeing him. The doc sent for O'Brien, and after they'd worked on the girl for a while he told her to notify the Bureau. They're both up in the room now with the doors locked."
"You did right in keeping the thing quiet," Markham told him. "If Ada recovers we can hush it up and perhaps learn something from her."
"That's what I was thinking, sir. I told Sproot I'd wring his scrawny neck if he spilled anything to anybody."
"And," added Vance, "he bowed politely and said 'Yes, sir.'"
"You bet your life he did!"
"Where is the rest of the household at present?" Markham asked.
"Miss Sibella's in her room. She had breakfast in bed at half past ten and told the maid she was going back to sleep. The old lady's also asleep. The maid and the cook are in the back of the house somewhere."
"Has Von Blon been here this morning?" put in Vance.
"Sure he's been here—he comes regular. O'Brien said he called at ten, sat with the old lady about an hour, and then went away."
