The Secret Adversary

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take her word against mine, and think it was part of my mental trouble
to think myself 'persecuted'--I felt that the horrors in store for me
would be too awful once they knew I'd been only shamming."

Sir James nodded comprehendingly.

"Mrs. Vandemeyer was a woman of great personality. With that and her
social position she would have had little difficulty in imposing her
point of view in preference to yours. Your sensational accusations
against her would not easily have found credence."

"That's what I thought. It ended in my being sent to a sanatorium at
Bournemouth. I couldn't make up my mind at first whether it was a sham
affair or genuine. A hospital nurse had charge of me. I was a special
patient. She seemed so nice and normal that at last I determined to
confide in her. A merciful providence just saved me in time from falling
into the trap. My door happened to be ajar, and I heard her talking