uiet do; please to
remember that with all his villainy he is a perfect gentleman."

"Ah" said Helen "you too admit that he is a villain."

Cyril saw he had made a mistake and the hot blood rushed to his face.

"Dear me" he said cooly "I am always blurting out things I dont mean."

Helen was beginning to see through him.

"Cyril" she said faintly "I hope you are not a villain too."

"Why of course I'm not" replied Cyril "come, here is the train."

Helen followed Cyril to a first class carriage, noticed that the foreign
looking man, otherwise Mr. Palsey, jumped into a second class department
and closed the door with a bang.

"This is a fast train" said Cyril as he got on to the seat.

"Indeed?" replied Helen, and with a deep drawn sigh she placed her
bundle on the rack.

"Helen wont you eat your supper," asked Cyril "it is nearly nine
o'clock, you must be hungry.

"Very well" replied Helen and she opened her bag.

"What have you got?" asked Cyril eargerly.

"Only a small pot of calf's foot jelly" answered Helen.

"Oh" said Cyril in a dissopointed tone, "why you ought to have had fruit
and cold fowl."

"Dont speak to me of cold fowls" cried Helen in disgust and having
finished her jelly she sank into repose.

The train was an express and reached Kenalham a little before 10-30.

Helen burst into tears as she stepped on to the platform. "Oh how sad,
how sad" she moaned.

The dog cart was waiting for them and Cyril jumped quickly in, helping
Helen as he did so.

For ten minutes or more, the cart stopped, and Helen found herself once
more on the threshold of her home.

CHAPTER 15

THE ROBBERY

The door was opened by Marshland who having heard the fearful news was
attired in deep mourning.

"My darling Miss Helen!" cried the old servant.

"Oh Marshland" cried Helen "I feel so terribly ill."

"Come to bed at once miss and you shall have some hot wine" said
Marshland "step into the drawing room sir" she added seeing Cyril
waiting in the passage.

"Goodnight Helen dear" cried Cyril, then turning to the servant he added
"thank you I will rest for one moment, but I must go then, as I have a
friend waiting for me in the town."

"Very well sir" said Marshland "you can let yourself out cant you?"

"Oh yes" cried Cyril and he betook himself to the drawing room.

As I have already mentioned, Helen was feeling weak and ill and her head
ached as though it would split. Marshland put her to bed ve