"But last night," he cried, in accents of an almost intolerable
pathos--"last night, when I hinted--you did not--did not speak like
this, Rosetta."

I rose. I had surely no alternative but to separate them. If I allowed
the interview to be prolonged the consequences to my patient might be
extremely serious. Yet again I hesitated. It was the sound of Rosa's
sobbing that arrested me.

Once more she dropped to her knees.

"Alresca!" she moaned.

He seized her hand and kissed it.

And then I came forward, summoning all my courage to assert the
doctor's authority. And in the same instant Alresca's features, which
had been the image of intense joy, wholly changed their expression,
and were transformed into the embodiment of fear. With a look of
frightful terror he pointed with one white hand to the blank wall
opposite. He tried to sit up, but the splint prevented him. Then his
head fell back.

"It is there!" he moaned. "Fatal! My Rosa--"

The words died in his mouth, and he swooned.

As for Rosetta Rosa, I led her from the room.