Asitwillthenbetoolate，andtheinstrumentsarealreadypreparedforthelittleoperationwhichhergraceiseagerlyanticipating，itwould，perhaps，beaswell，afterall，thatyoushouldgivemeintocharge。Youwouldhavesavedyourfivehundredpounds，andyouwould，atanyrate，havesomethinginexchangeforhergrace’smutilatedlimb。Ah，hereistheconstable！Officer！“
Thestrangerspokewithsuchapleasantlittleairofeasygenialitythatitwasimpossibletotellifhewereinjestorinearnest。Thisfactimpressedthedukemuchmorethanifhehadgoneinforaliberalindulgenceofthe——underthecircumstances——
orthodoxmelodramaticscowling。And，indeed，inthefaceofhisowncommonsense，itimpressedMr。IvorDacretoo。
Thiswell-bred，well-groomedyouthwasjustthebeingtorealize——
auxboutsdesongles——amoderntypeofthedevil，thetypewhichdepictshimasaperfectgentleman，whokeepssmilingallthetime。
Theconstablewhomthisaudaciousroguehadsignaledapproachedthelittlegroup。Headdressedthestranger:
“Doyouwantme，sir？“
“No，Idonotwantyou。IthinkitistheDukeofDatchet。“
Theconstable，whoknewthedukeverywellbysight，salutedhimasheturnedtoreceiveinstructions。
Thedukelookedwhite，evensavage。Therewasnotapleasantlookinhiseyesandabouthislips。Heappearedtobeendeavoringtoputagreatrestraintuponhimself。Therewasamomentarysilence。
Mr。Dacremadeamovementasiftointerpose。Thedukecaughthimbythearm。
Hespoke:“No，constable，Idonotwantyou。Thispersonismistaken。“
Theconstablelookedasifhecouldnotquitemakeouthowsuchamistakecouldhavearisen，hesitated，then，withanothersalute，hemovedaway。
Thestrangerwasstillholdinghiswatchinhishand。
“Onlyeightminutes，“hesaid。
Thedukeseemedtoexperiencesomedifficultyingivingutterancetowhathehadtosay。
“IfIgiveyouthisfivehundredpounds，you——you——“
Asthedukepaused，asifatalossforlanguagewhichwasstrongenoughtoconveyhismeaning，thestrangerlaughed。
“Letustaketheadjectivesforgranted。Besides，itisonlyboyswhocalleachothernames——mendothings。Ifyougivemethefivehundredsovereigns，whichyouhaveinthatbag，atonce——infiveminutesitwillbetoolate——Iwillpromise——Iwillnotswear；ifyoudonotcreditmysimplepromise，youwillnotbelievemysolemnaffirmation——Iwillpromisethat，possiblywithinanhour，certainlywithinanhourandahalf，theDuchessofDatchetshallreturntoyouabsolutelyuninjured——except，ofcourse，asyouarealreadyaware，withregardtoafewofthehairsofherhead。I
willpromisethisontheunderstandingthatyoudonotyourselfattempttoseewhereIgo，andthatyouwillallownooneelsetodoso。“ThiswithaglanceatIvorDacre。“IshallknowatonceifIamfollowed。Ifyouentertainsuchintentions，youhadbetter，onallaccounts，remaininpossessionofyourfivehundredpounds。“
Thedukeeyedhimverygrimly。
“Ientertainnosuchintentions——untiltheduchessreturns。“
Againthestrangerindulgedinthatmusicallaughofhis。
“Ah，untiltheduchessreturns！Ofcourse，thenthebargain’satanend。Whenyouareoncemoreintheenjoymentofhergrace’ssociety，youwillbeatlibertytosetallthedogsinEuropeatmyheels。IassureyouIfullyexpectthatyouwilldoso——whynot？“
Thedukeraisedthecanvasbag。“Mydearduke，tenthousandthanks！YoushallseehergraceatDatchetHouse，’ponmyhonor，probablywithinthehour。“
“Well，“commentedIvorDacre，whenthestrangerhadvanished，withthebag，intoPiccadilly，andasthedukeandhimselfmovedtowardBurlingtonGardens，“ifagentlemanistoberobbed，itisaswellthatheshouldhaveanothergentlemanrobhim。“
III
Mr。Dacreeyedhiscompanioncovertlyastheyprogressed。HisGraceofDatchetappearedtohavesomefreshcauseforuneasiness。
Allatoncehegaveitutterance，inatoneofvoicewhichwasextremelysomber:
“Ivor，doyouthinkthatscoundrelwilldaretoplaymefalse？“
“Ithink，“murmuredMr。Dacre，“thathehasdaredtoplayyouprettyfalsealready。“
“Idon’tmeanthat。ButImeanhowamItoknow，nowthathehashismoney，thathewillstillnotkeepMabelinhisclutches？“
TherecameanechofromMr。Dacre。
“Justso——howareyoutoknow？“
“IbelievethatsomethingofthissorthasbeendoneintheStates。“
“Ithoughtthattheretheywerecontenttokidnapthemaftertheyweredead。Iwasnotawarethattheyhad，asyet，gotquitesofarastheliving。“
“IbelievethatIhaveheardofsomethingjustlikethis。“
“Possibly；theyaregiantsoverthere。“
“Andinthatcasethescoundrels，whentheirdemandsweremet，refusedtokeeptotheletteroftheirbargainandaskedformore。“
Thedukestoodstill。Heclinchedhisfists，andswore:
“Ivor，ifthat——villaindoesn’tkeephisword，andMabelisn’thomewithinthehour，by——Ishallgomad！“
“MydearDatchet“——Mr。Dacrelovedstronglanguageaslittleashelovedascene——“letustrusttotimeand，alittle，toyourwhite-
hattedandgardenia-buttonholedfriend’swordofhonor。Youshouldhavethoughtofpossibleeventualitiesbeforeyoushowedyourconfidence——really。Suppose，insteadofgoingmad，wefirstofallgohome？“
AhansomstoodwaitingforafareattheendoftheArcade。Mr。
Dacrehadhandedthedukeintoitbeforehisgracehadquiterealizedthatthevehiclewasthere。
“Tellthefellowtodrivefaster。“Thatwaswhatthedukesaidwhenthecabhadstarted。
“MydearDatchet，theman’salreadydrivinghisgeerageoffitslegs。Ifabobbycatchessightofhimhe’lltakehisnumber。“
Amomentlater，amurmurfromtheduke:
“Idon’tknowifyou’reawarethattheprinceiscomingtodinner？“
“Iamperfectlyawareofit。“
“Youtakeituncommonlycool。Howeasyitistobearourbrother’sburdens！Ivor，ifMabeldoesn’tturnupIshallfeellikemurder。“
“Isympathizewithyou，Datchet，withallmyheart，though，Imayobserve，parenthetically，thatIveryfarfromrealizethesituationevenyet。Takemyadvice。Iftheduchessdoesnotshowquiteassoonaswebothofusdesire，don’tmakeascene；justletmeseewhatIcando。“
Judgingfromtheexpressionofhiscountenance，thedukewasconsciousofnooverwhelmingdesiretowitnessanexhibitionofMr。
Dacre’sprowess。
WhenthecabreachedDatchetHousehisgracedashedupthestepsthreeatatime。Thedoorflewopen。
“Hastheduchessreturned？“
“Hereward！“
Avoicefloateddownwardfromabove。Someonecamerunningdownthestairs。ItwasherGraceofDatchet。
“Mabel！“
Sheactuallyrushedintotheduke’sextendedarms。Andhekissedher，andshekissedhim——beforetheservants。
“Soyou’renotquitedead？“shecried。
“Iamalmost，“hesaid。
Shedrewherselfalittleawayfromhim。
“Hereward，wereyouseriouslyhurt？“
“DoyousupposethatIcouldhavebeenotherwisethanseriouslyhurt？“
“Mydarling！WasitaPickford’svan？“
Thedukestared。
“APickford’svan？Idon’tunderstand。Butcomeinhere。Comealong，Ivor。Mabel，youdon’tseeIvor。“
“Howdoyoudo，Mr。Dacre？“
Thenthetriowithdrewintoalittleanteroom；itwasreallytime。
EventhenthepairconductedthemselvesasifMr。Dacrehadbeennothingandnoone。Theduketookthelady’stwohandsinhis。Heeyedherfondly。
“Soyouareuninjured，withtheexceptionofthatlockofhair。
Wheredidthevillaintakeitfrom？“
Theladylookedalittlepuzzled。
“Whatlockofhair？“
Fromanenvelopewhichhetookfromhispocketthedukeproducedashiningtress。Itwasthelockofhairwhichhadarrivedinthefirstcommunication。“Iwillhaveitframed。“
“Youwillhavewhatframed？“Theduchessglancedatwhatthedukewassotenderlycaressing，almost，asitseemed，alittledubiously。“Whateverisityouhavethere？“
“Itisthelockofhairwhichthatscoundrelsentme。“Somethinginthelady’sfacecausedhimtoaskaquestion:
“Didn’thetellyouhehadsentittome？“
“Hereward！“
“Didthebrutetellyouthathemeanttocutoffyourlittlefinger？“
Averycuriouslookcameintothelady’sface。Sheglancedatthedukeasifshe，allatonce，washalfafraidofhim。ShecastatMr。Dacrewhatreallyseemedtobealookofinquiry。Hervoicewastremulouslyanxious。
“Hereward，did——didtheaccidentaffectyoumentally？“
“Howcoulditnothaveaffectedmementally？Doyouthinkthatmymentalorganizationisofsteel？“
“Butyoulooksowell。“
“OfcourseIlookwell，nowthatIhaveyoubackagain。Tellme，darling，didthathoundactuallythreatenyouwithcuttingoffyourarm？Ifhedid，Ishallfeelhalfinclinedtokillhimyet。“
Theduchessseemedpositivelytoshrinkfromherbetterhalf’snearneighborhood。
“Hereward，wasitaPickford’svan？“
Thedukeseemedpuzzled。Wellhemightbe。
“WaswhataPickford’svan？“
TheladyturnedtoMr。Dacre。Inhervoicetherewasaringofanguish。
“Mr。Dacre，tellme，wasitaPickford’svan？“Ivorcouldonlyimitatehisrelative’srepetitionofherinquiry。
“Idon’tquitecatchyou——waswhataPickford’svan？“
Theduchessclaspedherhandsinfrontofher。
“Whatisityouarekeepingfromme？Whatisityouaretryingtohide？Iimploreyoutotellmetheworst，whateveritmaybe！Donotkeepmeanylongerinsuspense；youdonotknowwhatIalreadyhaveendured。Mr。Dacre，ismyhusbandmad？“
Oneneedscarcelyobservethatthelady’samazingappealtoMr。
Dacreastoherhusband’ssanitywasreceivedwithsomethinglikesurprise。Asthedukecontinuedtostareather，adreadfulfearbegantoloominhisbrain。
“Mydarling，yourbrainisunhinged！“
Headvancedtotakehertwohandsagaininhis；but，tohisunmistakabledistress，sheshrankawayfromhim。
“Hereward——don’ttouchme。HowisitthatImissedyou？WhydidyounotwaituntilIcame？“
“Waituntilyoucame？“
Theduke’sbewildermentincreased。
“Surely，ifyourinjuriesturnedout，afterall，tobeslight，thatwasallthemorereasonwhyyoushouldhavewaited，aftersendingformelikethat。“
“Isentforyou——I？“Theduke’stonewasgrave。“Mydarling，perhapsyouhadbettercomeupstairs。“
“Notuntilwehavehadanexplanation。YoumusthaveknownthatI
shouldcome。Whydidyounotwaitformeafteryouhadsentmethat？“
Theduchessheldoutsomethingtotheduke。Hetookit。Itwasacard——hisownvisitingcard。Somethingwaswrittenonthebackofit。Hereadaloudwhatwaswritten。