Heberdon spent a ghastly night tossing on his bed at the Pallisers’. The failure of his attempt upon Alcorne, the fear of what Alcorne would do next, and the thought of Cora combined almost drove him insane. And worse than the torment of his thoughts was the hunger for cocaine that would not let a nerve of his body rest. That unappeasable craving made the night a hundred years long.
By rising early and taking a train before breakfast the haggard, yellow, shaken creature contrived to avoid the members of the household. On reaching town his first act was to hurry to his rooms, and get the prescription out of the book where he had hidden it. He called a taxicab and ordered the driver to take him to the address given. Once he was headed toward the place his jumping nerves quieted a little.
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