king
it away from all inquisitive eyes; for her first thought was that there
must be no scandal over the affair.

Few knew of his marriage. She had persisted in keeping still about it, in
spite of all his orders to the contrary, and after his return from his
fruitless search for Virgie, he had been far too sensitive upon the
subject to talk of it himself, and thus almost everybody believed him to
be still a single man. Hence Lady Linton's anxiety that nothing should be
known regarding the divorce.

When John returned to her she summoned other servants and had Sir William
carried to his own rooms, where she and the housekeeper applied all
remedies that were at hand to revive him.

When the physician arrived he had recovered from his swoon, but was in a
raging fever, and wild with delirium.

Sir Herbert pronounced his illness to be brain fever of a serious type,
and Lady Linton knew, from the grave look on the wise man's face, that he
had but very little hope of his recovery.

* * * * *

When Virgie left the hotel on the morning after Mr. Eldridge requested her
to vacate her rooms, she drove to a quiet street, where she engaged
lodgings for a few days, until she could arrange her plans for the future.
She then gave notice at the bank where her money was deposited that she
should draw it all on a certain date. As soon as she received it she
purchased a ticket for San Francisco, and a week from the time of
receiving Lady Linton's cruel letter she was rolling over the Central
Pacific Railroad toward her former home, intent upon only one
purpose--that of gaining indisputable proof of her lawful marriage, in
order to shield her child from wrong and shame.

She reached a small town only a few miles from her old home among the
mountains, and then sent a messenger for Chi Lu to come to her.

He came at once, glad to do anything for the "young missee" whom he had
served for years, and learned to regard with great affection.

Virgie felt sure that she could safely confide in him, so she told him
something of her trouble, and asked him to help her gather the proofs of
her marriage.

He proved himself very efficient in this respect, and was only too eager
to secure justice for her.

After all was done, and she had the precious papers in her own hands, she
would have paid him handsomely and sent him hack to the mountains again.
But he threw at her feet the money she offered him, and begged t