Mr. Kinaby\'s dog-cart, now that the land-steward himself was almost wholly confined to the house, was at the service of Everard Lisle, and he generally made use of it, if the weather happened to be bad, when he was invited to dine at the Chase, thereby saving himself a long wet tramp there and back through the park.

To-day the fine forenoon had degenerated into a wet evening, and when Lisle had given his horse and trap into charge of the stable help and, after divesting himself of his wet mackintosh, had made his way to the drawing-room, he found there the Baronet, Lady Pell and Miss Thursby. Sir Gilbert, in his abrupt fashion, at once proceeded to introduce him to the ladies. After bowing to her ladyship, Everard held out his hand to Ethel, saying as he did so: "I have had the pleasure of meeting Miss Thursby on more than one occasion before to-day; in point of fact, we happen to come from the same town, St. Oswyth\'s."

"And a very charming, old-fashioned town it is," said her ladyship; "and some of the people, whose acquaintance I made there"--with a significant glance at Ethel--"I found to be quite as nice as the place."

At this moment Trant entered the room with the announcement that dinner was served. "That\'s all very well," said Sir Gilbert testily, "but what has become of my grandson? Where is Mr. Lewis? Send up to his room at once, Trant, and tell him that dinner is waiting." Then turning to Lady Pell, he added: "I hate unpunctuality, especially at meal-times. It would serve the young dog right to make him go without his dinner."

"Is he often behind time?" queried her ladyship.

"No, I can\'t say that he is. He knows that I wouldn\'t put up with it."

"Then you can afford, for once in a way, to overlook his remissness. Besides, it would be unfair to blame him before hearing what he may have to say for himself."

"Oh, he\'ll have some plausible excuse or other, I don\'t doubt," growled Sir Gilbert. "You would be clever to catch him without one."

Trant reappeared. "Mr. Lewis is not in his room, Sir Gilbert. It seems that he left the house about ten o\'clock, and has not been seen since."

Sir Gilbert\'s eyebrows came together in a frown. Then he shook himself, and forcing a smile, said: "In that case there is no need to wait. Perhaps they have persuaded him to stay and dine at the vicarage, although, when that has been the case before, he has always sent me word." With that he offered his arm to Lady Pell and Everard did the same to Miss Thursby.

When dinner was over there was no sitting out of doors as on the preceding evening. In the drawing-room, the lighted lamps, the drawn curtains and the wood fire, served as so many reminders of the dying year. This evening, out of compliment to her ladyship, Sir Gilbert forewent his usual game of chess. At his request Ethel played and sang for upwards of an hour, during which time it was Lisle\'s happy privilege to turn over her music and hover round her generally. Between whiles Sir Gilbert and her ladyship, who were seated considerably apart from the young people, conversed in low tones.

Ten o\'clock struck all too soon for Everard Lisle. It was his appointed hour for leaving the Chase. When he had taken leave of the ladies, Sir Gilbert quitted the room with him. While the dog-cart was being brought round and he was inducting himself into his mackintosh, the baronet sent a servant to ascertain whether his grandson had yet reached home. No, Mr. Lewis was not in his room, neither had anyone seen him, was the word brought back. "I shall sit up for him, if it be till six o\'clock in the morning," said Sir Gilbert grimly to Lisle. With that, he nodded a curt, but not unkindly goodnight, and strode back to the drawing-room.

Sir Gilbert\'s words were in Everard\'s mind as he drove through the wind and the rain. What had become of young Clare? Where and by whom had he been detained? Could any harm have befallen him? He did not believe much in the likelihood of his being at the vicarage all these hours; nevertheless, he would drive round there, although it would be more than a couple of miles out of his way, and should Clare chance to be there, he would give him a hint that the sooner he got back to the Chase the better it might be for him.

But the missing delinquent was not at the vicarage. He had left there at his usual hour, and of his after-movements neither Mr. nor Mrs. Merton had any knowledge. "What if he has found his way to the King\'s Head, and is still there?" said Everard to himself as the vicarage door was shut behind him. "In any case, it\'s a point worth settling;" and with that he turned his horse\'s head in the direction of Mapleford. Rumours of Luigi\'s frequent visits to the billiard-room of the hotel in question had come to Lisle\'s ears, for Mr. Lewis Clare, in virtue of his position as Sir Gilbert\'s grandson, was a personage of some consequence in the little town, and his comings and goings were not merely noted, but freely commented upon.

Everard\'s surmise proved to be correct. He found Luigi at the King\'s Head, but not in quite as sober a condition as he might have been. It was the birthday of Miss Jennings, the pretty barmaid, and it had seemed to him that the occasion was one which nothing less than champagne could do justice to. There were several other young men there who were of the same opinion as Mr. Clare--so long as the latter was willing to pay for the wine. The sudden apparition of Lisle turned Luigi cold from head to foot and had the effect of partially sobering him. He did not doubt for a moment that Sir Gilbert had sent for him, and his limbs shook under him as, without a word of farewell to his companions, he rose in obedience to Lisle\'s beckoning finger and followed him into the open air. "Your grandfather is sitting up for you," said Everard. "The longer you stay here, the longer you will keep him out of bed. Let me help you into the dog-cart."

"I dare not face him," whimpered Luigi. "I\'d almost sooner go and drown myself."

"But you can\'t stay here all night," urged Lisle. "You have been here far too long already, and I shall not go without taking you with me."

"He\'ll turn me out neck and crop, I know he will," moaned the other, with a clutch at Lisle\'s sleeve to enable him to keep his balance.

"Pooh! Don\'t be a coward. Sir Gilbert\'s bark, as you ought to know by this time, is far worse than his bite. He will give you a good jacketing, and serve you right, and there will be an end of it."

"Ah!--you don\'t know him; you think you do, but you don\'t," said Luigi with the intense gravity of semi-inebriety. "Yes, I\'d almost sooner drown myself than face him," he whimpered for the second time.

He was indeed, as Everard could not help reflecting, in no condition to be seen by his grandfather. What was the best thing to do? He stood for a moment or two considering, and then he said: "If you like to stay at my place to-night, I will find you a bed. But in that case, after leaving you there, I must drive to the Chase, inform Sir Gilbert where you are, and make the best excuse I can for your non-appearance."

"Lisle, you\'re a brick!" ejaculated Luigi, seizing Everard by both arms and making as though he would playfully shake him. "I\'ve never liked you, you know, but to-night you\'ve proved a regular brick.--Yes, that\'s the card--a shake-down at your place, and you t............