"Leave him to me," said Lucilla, in the most positive manner.

"I mean first to cure him.

And then I mean to be his wife." In a week more, he was in complete possession of his faculties--but still wretchedly weak, and only gaining ground very slowly after the shock that he had suffered.
He was now able to tell us, by a little at a time, of what had happened in the workshop.
After Mrs.Gootheridge and her daughter had quitted the house at their usual hour, he had gone up to his room; had remained there some little time; and had then gone downstairs again.

On approaching the workshop, he heard voices talking in whispers in the room.

The idea instantly occurred to him that something was wrong.