ush him to the
earth. He lurched out of the chair on to the hearth-rug, rolled on to
his back, and lay there motionless with arms outstretched.

An hour later the door opened and Sir Arthur came in in his dressing
gown. A glance at the empty decanter and the prostrate figure on the
hearth-rug, showed him the calamity that had fallen upon his house. He
staggered forward and dropped on his knees beside Vane, crying in a
weak, broken voice:

"My boy, my boy! Good God! what have I done? Why didn't I tell him at
once?"

CHAPTER III.

Vane was utterly insensible either to voice or touch. His father knelt
over him and loosened his tie and collar, for his breath was coming hard
and irregularly. Then he rose to his feet, looked down at him for a few
moments, and went away to summon Koda Bux, his old Pathan bearer, to
help him to take him up to bed. He knew that he could trust him not to
gossip, and he would not for worlds have had it said about the house the
next day that Master Vane had been carried to bed drunk.

Koda Bux was awake the moment his master touched his shoulder. He rose
at once and followed him. When they reached the library Sir Arthur
pointed without a word to where Vane lay. He looked at him and then at
the decanters, and said, without moving a feature save his lips:

"Truly, Huzur, the young sahib is exceeding drunk, and he must sleep.
To-morrow the fires of hell will be burning in his brain and in his
blood. It is a thing that no others should know of. He shall sleep in
his bed, and thy servant shall watch by him until he is well, and
neither man nor woman shall come near him."

"That is my wish, Koda," said Sir Arthur. "Now I will help you to take
him upstairs."

"There is no need that thou, O protector of the poor, shouldst trouble
thyself. This is but one man's work."

With that he stooped down, got his arms under Vane's knees and
shoulders, and lifted him up as easily as if he had been a lad of ten.
Sir Arthur took up the candle which he had brought down with him, and
went in front to his son's room.

Koda laid him on the bed, and at once went to work with the deft
rapidity of a practised hand to remove his clothes. He saw that he could
do no more good, so, after laying his hand for a moment on Vane's wet,
cold brow, he turned away towards the door with a deep sigh, which was
not lost on Koda.

"Trust him to me and sleep in peace, Huzur," he said. "I know how to
fight the devil that