nd of his voice seemed to rouse Dudley, who looked at him with a
vacant stare, and then let his eyelids drop again.

"So glad, old chap--so glad to--to see you yourself again!" whispered
Max, huskily.

But Dudley was not himself. He looked up again, then tried to smile, and
at last turned his head abruptly and seemed to be listening.

Carrie beckoned to Max and spoke low in his ear.

"You'd better take him away from here as quickly as you can, for half a
dozen reasons."

Max nodded, but looked doubtful.

"He's ill," said he. "How shall I get him away? And where shall I take
him to?"

"Down to your father's house" answered she at once.

Max looked rather startled.

"But--you know--the police!" muttered he, almost inaudibly. "Won't that
be the very first place they'd come to--my home?"

"Never mind that. You must risk it. He's going to be ill, I think, and
he can't be left here. Surely you know that."

She gave a glance round which made Max shiver.

"And how am I to get him all that way to-night? The last train has gone
hours ago."

"Take him by road, then. We'll get a carriage--a conveyance of some sort
or other--at once. I'll send Bob."

She turned to the lad and gave him some directions, in obedience to
which he disappeared. Then she turned fiercely to Max.

"Don't you see," said she, "that if he wakes up and finds himself here,
after what's happened, it'll about settle him?"

The words sent a shudder through Max.

"After what's happened!" repeated he, with stammering tongue. "What was
it? Who did it?"

But, instead of answering, Carrie threw herself down beside Dudley, who
was now rapidly recovering strength, although he hardly seemed to
understand where he was or by whom he was being tended.

"Do you feel all right now?" she asked, cheerfully.

He looked at her with dull eyes.

"Oh, yes," said he. "But I--I don't remember what--"

"Take a drink of this," interrupted Carrie, quickly, as she put to his
lips a flask of brandy which Bob had fetched. "You've got to take a long
drive, and you want something to warm you first."

"A drive! A long drive!"

Dudley repeated the words as if he hardly understood their meaning. But
he was not satisfied, and as he sipped the brandy he looked at her
curiously. His next words, however, were a criticism on the restorative.

"What vile stuff!"

"Never mind. It's better than nothing. Try a little more."

But instead of obeying, he looked her steadily i