She began to look about the room for a light. But the lamp had been extinguished. The dull gray daylight filtering through the Venetian blinds sufficiently lit the room. Then the old lady, with a strange, irregular movement, crushed the note together in her hand, placed it in her mouth, and with a convulsive movement of her jaws chewed it, trying to swallow it as quickly as possible. A minute passed, and the note had disappeared. The old princess closed the strong box and rang for the day nurse. Giving her