"Well, yes, a little," said the stern, dark man. "Mr Huish--John Huish?"

"Yes; I am John Huish."

"Then you are my prisoner, Mr John Huish; here is the warrant. Smith-- cuffs!"

"Stop! One minute!" exclaimed Huish excitedly. "What does this mean?"

"Only the end of the little game, sir," said the dark, stern man. "Long lane that has no turning. Turning's come at last!"

"I do not understand you. Some mistake."

"Yes, sir, these matters always are little mistakes. Are you ready?"

"No! Stop!" cried Huish. "Send that man away. You need not secure me.

I will go with you."

The stern man relaxed a little, and smiled.

"Won't do," he said. "We've had too much trouble to run you down, sir.

You well-educated ones are too precious clever. We've got a cab waiting."

"But my wife--my--we have company here."

"There, come along, sir, and get away quietly without letting them know.

It's no use trying any dodges on, because we've got you, and don't mean to let you slip."

"Tell me at least what it means!" cried Huish.

"The big burglary last night, if you want to know for which little game it is; but don't be uneasy."

"My hat and overcoat," said Huish quickly. "Get me away quietly, so that they do not see upstairs. I tell you, man, that I will not try to escape you. I have only to go to the station to explain that this is a mistake."

"Get the gentleman's hat and coat," said the plain-clothes officer; and the policeman opened the door so suddenly that the maid was caught listening.

"Jane, here, quick!" cried Huish. "Tell your mistress after we are gone that I am suddenly called away on business."

"And won't be back to-night, my dear," said the officer. "Now, sir, are you ready?"

Huish nodded, feeling confused and prostrated by the suddenness of the seizure. For a moment he half felt disposed to resist, but he refrained, and, stepping into the hall, the girl opened the door just as d.i.c.k came up the steps.

"Why, Huish!" he cried in astonishment.

"Hush!" cried the other. "Not a word to Gertrude. There is some mistake. Go up to your father, and bring him round to the station. It will be a question of bail, eh, constable?"

"Yes, sir, I should think it would," said the officer drily; and, taking his prisoner's wrist, he hurried him into the cab.

"Then it must be all true about him, and he's caught at last," muttered d.i.c.k, whose throat felt dry and lips parched. "Poor little Gertrude!

What will her ladyship say?"

He stood thinking of what he should do as the cab rolled away, and then entered slowly, feeling that he must leave matters a good deal to chance. But the deepest-laid scheme of breaking the news would have been blown to the winds, for the maid had hurried up open-mouthed to blurt out to Gertrude that master had been took, and that they were going to handcuff him and put him to prison for burglary.

"Is this girl mad, d.i.c.k?" said Gertrude, who was trembling violently, while Sir Humphrey stood up hardly yet awake.

"Some c.o.c.k-and-bull nonsense--a blunder, I suppose," replied d.i.c.k hastily.

"But she says the police--have taken my husband."

"They--they--they are always making these confounded blunders, my dear,"

exclaimed the old man. "There, there, be quiet, my dear. d.i.c.k and I will go and see."

"Yes, father, I was going to propose it. John wishes us to go. There, Gertrude, don't be stupid. I've no doubt it's all right."

"d.i.c.k," she cried, catching his arm and gazing in his face; "you don't think so. There is some great trouble. What is it?"

"I don't know--I can't tell; only that you are hindering us when we might be of service to John. Be a woman, Gertrude, and take all that comes as a wife should. There, there, don't cry. I'll come back as soon as I can."

"I must go with you," she cried. "If my husband is in prison my place is by his side."

"Yes, yes, my dear," said the old man querulously; "that's what they say in books, but the law won't stand it. Come along, d.i.c.k. I say, my boy," he whispered, as they reached the hall, "it's precious hard on me that my sons-in-law should get into such sc.r.a.pes. What has John been doing?"

"Heaven knows, father, but I fear the worst," whispered d.i.c.k; but his words were heard upstairs by Gertrude, who was leaning over the bal.u.s.trade, and the poor girl staggered back into the little drawing-room to sob as if her heart would break.

"But I must be a woman and act," she said, drying her eyes hastily; and ringing, she despatched the girl with a short note to her sister, begging her to come back in the cab directly with the messenger. Then she sat down patiently to wait, after declining the cook's offer of help.

Ten minutes afterwards there was a quick ring at the bell, and the remaining servant answered the door.

Gertrude ran to the landing, and glanced down, to utter a cry of joy, for at that moment a well-known voice exclaimed roughly:

"Where is your mistress?" and she ran down to meet her husband in the hall.

John Huish seemed to Gertrude greatly excited and hurried. There was something strange, too, in his way which she could not understand, but set it down to that which he had gone through.

"Oh, John," she began, clinging to him; but he checked her, keeping his face half averted, and speaking in a harsh whisper.

"Hush!" he exclaimed. "Not a word. Go down."

This to the servant, who tossed her head at the imperative order and left the hall.

"Now," he said, "quick--your hat and jacket! I have a cab waiting."

"Are we going out, dear?" she said inquiringly. "I have just sent for Renee."

"How foolish!" he cried. "But waste no time."

"Where are we going?" she asked, wondering at his strange, impetuous manner.

"Don't waste time, dear," he cried, "but get ready. You shall know all as we go."