ip is dangerously ill, Sir. Her ladyship can receive no
visitors."

"Be so good as to take that card to Lady Holchester. It is absolutely
necessary that your mistress should be made acquainted--in the interests
of her younger son--with something which I can only mention to her
ladyship herself."

The two persons speaking were Lord Holchester's head servant and Sir
Patrick Lundie. At that time barely half an hour had passed since the
close of the proceedings at Portland Place.

The servant still hesitated with the card in his hand. "I shall forfeit
my situation," he said, "if I do it."

"You will most assuredly forfeit your situation if you _don't_ do it,"
returned Sir Patrick. "I warn you plainly, this is too serious a matter
to be trifled with."

The tone in which those words were spoken had its effect. The man went
up stairs with his message.

Sir Patrick waited in the hall. Even the momentary delay of entering
one of the reception-rooms was more than he could endure at that moment.
Anne's happiness was hopelessly sacrificed already. The preservation
of her personal safety--which Sir Patrick firmly believed to be in
danger--was the one service which it was possible to render to her
now. The perilous position in which she stood toward her husband--as
an immovable obstacle, while she lived, between Geoffrey and Mrs.
Glenarm--was beyond the reach of remedy. But it was still possible to
prevent her from becoming the innocent cause of Geoffrey's pecuniary
ruin, by standing in the way of a reconciliation between father and son.

Resolute to leave no means untried of serving Anne's interests, Sir
Patrick had allowed Arnold and Blanche to go to his own residence in
London, alone, and had not even waited to say a farewell word to any of
the persons who had taken part in the inquiry. "Her life may depend on
what I can do for her at Holchester House!" With that conviction in him,
he had left Portland Place. With that conviction in him, he had sent his
message to Lady Holchester, and was now waiting for the reply.

The servant appeared again on the stairs. Sir Patrick went up to meet
him.

"Her ladyship will see you, Sir, for a few minutes."

The door of an upper room was opened; and Sir Patrick found himself in
the presence of Geoffrey's mother. There was only time to observe that
she possessed the remains of rare personal beauty, and that she
received her visitor with a grace and courtesy which implied (under the
c