h man.

Drake understand the note of satisfaction in the whisky-shaken voice.

"Just time to catch the train!" said the new marquis. "Where the devil
is Luce? I always said Buckleigh would drown himself----Where is Luce?
She thinks I'll go without her; but I won't!" He swore.

At that moment Lady Luce came down the stairs. She was coming down
slowly, reluctantly, her fair face set sullenly; but at sight of Drake
her expression changed, and she ran down to him. There might yet be time
for the one word.

"Drake!" she cried, in a low voice, "I am going----You have heard?"

"Yes, yes," her father broke in testily. "I've told him. Get in. It will
be a near thing as it is. Come on, I tell you!" and he shambled down the
steps to the carriage.

She held Drake's hand and looked into his eyes appealingly.

"You see! I must go!" she murmured.

He nodded gravely.

"But you will come back?" he said, as gravely. "Come back as soon as you
can."

Her face lit up, and she breathed softly. She was now the daughter of a
rich man, but she wanted Drake, none the less.

"The Fates are against me, Drake," she whispered; "but I will come
back."

"Where the devil is that confounded maid of yours, Luce?" Turfleigh
called to her.

Burden came down the stairs. Her veil was drawn over the upper part of
her face, but the lower part was white to the lips.

"I'm half inclined to leave her behind," said Lady Luce irritably. "Pray
be quick, Burden!"

Burden got up on the box seat without a word.

Drake put Lady Luce in, held her hand for a moment, then the carriage
started, and he was standing alone, staring after it half stupidly.

He was still free!

CHAPTER XXXV.

Two days later, Nell sat beside Falconer. He was asleep, but every now
and then he moved suddenly, and his brows knit as if he were suffering.

The great surgeon--who, by the way, was small and short of stature--had
come down, made his examination, said a few cheerful words to the
patient, gone up to the Hall to dinner--at which he had talked fluently
of everything but the case--and returned to London with a big check from
Drake. But though he did not appear to have accomplished anything beyond
a general expression of approval of everything the local man had done,
all persons concerned felt encouraged and more hopeful by his visit; and
when Falconer showed signs of improvement it was duly placed to Sir
William's credit. There is much magic in a great name.