It was at the time he
first tried to persuade me to become a convert to Hinduism."
"What occurred after you and your father reached the house?"
"Father was very angry, and demanded that I promise never to see Mr.
Swain again. When I refused to promise, he sent me to my room,
forbidding me to leave it without his permission. I came up at once,
more than ever convinced that father needed medical attention. I was
very nervous and over-wrought, and I sat down by the window to control
myself before going to bed. And then, suddenly, I remembered something
the yogi had told me--that father was not strong, and that a fit of
anger might be very serious. I knew the servants had gone to bed, and
that he must be downstairs alone, since I had heard no one come up."
"You had heard no one in the hall at all?" I asked.
"No, I had heard no one. But I remember, as I started down the stairs,
a curious feeling of dread seized me. It was so strong that I stood
for some moments on the top step before I could muster courage to go
down. At last, I _did_ go down and--and found my father!"
She stopped, her hands over her eyes, as though to shut away the
remembrance of that dreadful sight.
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