Karl glanced around him, as though he feared the very walls might contain eaves-droppers. Mr. Moore saw his dread.
"It is a most dangerous secret," whispered Karl with agitation. "You will keep it with your whole heart and life?"
"Once more, I will, I will. You cannot doubt me. Who is it?"
The doctor leaped to his feet. Perhaps he had a doubt of Karl's sanity. He himself had assisted to lay Sir Adam in his grave.
"Hush!" said Karl. "No noise. It is indeed my most unfortunate brother."
"Did he come to life again?--Did Sir Adam come to life again?" reiterated the wondering surgeon in his perplexity.
They went together to the Maze after dark, Karl letting the doctor in with his own key. The whole history had been revealed to him. Nothing was kept back, save a small matter or two connected with the means of Sir Adam's daily concealment: of those no living soul without the Maze was cognisant, save three: Karl, Hewitt, and Smith the agent. Mr. Moore was entrusted with it later, but not at first. During the lifetime of a medical man, it falls to his lot to hear some curious family secrets, as it had to Mr. Moore; but he had never met with one half so strange and romantic as this.
Sir Adam had dismissed the signs of his illness, and--it will hardly be credited--attired himself in evening dress. With the departure of Mr. Tatton, old habits resumed their sway, with all their surrounding incaution. Mr. Moore saw the same tall, fine man, with the white and even teeth, that he had caught the transient glimpse of in the uncertain twilight some weeks before. The same, but with a difference: for the face was shrunken now, little more than half the size it had been then. In the past week or two he had changed rapidly. He met them when they entered--it was in the upstairs sitting-room: standing at the door erect, his head thrown back. Mr. Moore put out his hand; but the other did not take it.
"Your true friend, Sir Adam. Never a truer one shall be about you than I."
Their hands met then. "But I am not Sir Adam here, you know; I am Mr. Grey. Ah, doctor, what a life it has been!"
"A life that has done its best to kill him," thought the doctor, as he sat down. "Why did you not call me in before?" he asked.