uff never faltered. Round the corner he tore.
The man had kept his word--the brougham was already moving slowly.

"Jump in, sir," the man cried. "Throw yourself in. Never mind about the
door."

They heard the shouts behind. Peter Ruff did as he was bid, and sat upon
the floor, raising himself gradually to the seat when they had turned
another corner. Then he put his head out of the window.

"Back to the Duchess of Montford's!" he ordered.

The latest of the guests had ceased to arrive--a few were already
departing. It was an idle time, however, with the servants who loitered
in the vestibules of Montford House, and they looked with curiosity upon
this strange guest who arrived at five minutes to two, limping a little,
and holding his left arm in his right hand. One footman on the threshold
nearly addressed him, but the words were taken out of his mouth when he
saw Lady Mary and her brother--the Honorable Maurice Sotherst--hasten
forward to greet him.

Peter Ruff smiled upon them benignly.

"You can take the paper out of my breast-coat pocket," he said.

The young man's fingers gripped it. Through Lady Mary's great
thankfulness, however, the sudden fear came shivering.

"You are hurt!" she whispered. "There is blood on your sleeve."

"Just a graze," Peter Ruff answered. "Von Hern wasn't much good at a
running target. Back to the ballroom, young man," he added. "Don't you
see who's coming?"

The Prime Minister came up the tented way into Montford House. He, too,
wondered a little at the man whom he met on his way out, holding his
left arm, and looking more as though he had emerged from a street fight
than from the Duchess of Montford's ball. Peter Ruff went home smiling.

CHAPTER VII. THE DEMAND OF THE DOUBLE-FOUR

It was about this time that Peter Ruff found among his letters
one morning a highly-scented little missive, addressed to him in a
handwriting with which he had once been familiar. He looked at it for
several moments before opening it. Even as the paper cutter slid through
the top of the envelope, he felt that he had already divined the nature
of its contents.

FRIVOLITY THEATRE

March 10th

MY DEAR Mr. RUFF: I expect that you will be surprised to hear from me
again, but I do hope that you will not be annoyed. I know that I behaved
very horridly a little time ago, but it was not altogether my fault, and
I have been more sorry for it than I can tell you--in fact, John and I
have never b