ought them some tea, which, he said, choked him. Deciding on
sleeping at No. 5, Louis sent home the carriage, with a note to his
father; and Charlotte pressed her hands together in a transport of
gratitude when she found that he was not going to abandon her master.
She did her best to make the forlorn house comfortable; but it was but
cold comfort, with all the fires gone out, and he was too sad and
anxious to heed it.

She was at his door early the next morning, with a summons more
alarming than surprising. She was sure that master was very ill.

There was James lying across his bed, half-dressed, turned away from
the dim morning light, and more frightfully pale than ever. He started
angrily at Louis's entrance, and sprang up, but fell back, insisting
with all his might that nothing ailed him but a common headache, which
needed only to be left quiet for an hour or two. He said it venomously.

'A very uncommon headache,' thought Louis. 'My belief is, that it is
little short of brain fever! If I could only feel his pulse! But it
would be very like taking a mad dog's hand. There's nothing for it but
to fetch old Walby. He may have some experience of refractory
patients.'

'Go home, Louis,' reiterated James, savagely, on opening his eyes and
finding him not gone. 'I tell you I want nobody. I shall be in London
before night.'

And starting up, he tried to draw the curtain at his feet, to shut out
the tardy dawn; but too giddy to persevere, he sank back after one
noisy pull.

Louis drew it completely, shaded the window, and would have settled the
pillows, but was not allowed; and obtaining an impatient grunt by way
of dismissal, he ran down stairs, caught up hat and stick, and set off
to summon Mr. Walby from his comfortable family breakfast-table. The
good old doctor was more concerned than amazed. He could hardly
surmount the shock to his trustee conscience, on hearing of the
consequence of yesterday's proceedings.

'I was much grieved at the time,' he said, as they walked to the
Terrace together. 'You will believe me that I was no willing party, my
Lord.'

'I could never believe that you would do anything hard towards any one,
Mr. Walby,' said Louis, kindly; and a few more like assurances led the
old man to volunteer the history of the case in confidence.

Ramsbotham had brought before the meeting of the trustees a serious
mass of charges, on which he founded a motion that Mr. Frost should be
req