It was not, however, Lord Lynche, but his agent, Captain Andrews.

“Good afternoon, Miss Warner,” the agent said. “Has Lord Lynche returned yet?”

“No, not yet,” Carina replied.

“Then I will find him at The Castle,” Captain Andrews said. “I have just come from the hospital.”

“Is everyone all right?” Carina asked.

“Mrs. Barnstaple and old Newman are splendid,” Captain Andrews replied. “They are suffering from shock and the doctor thinks it wise for them to stay there for another twenty-four hours. But naturally they are agitating to come home, feeling that when there is a crisis they are indispensable.”

There was a pause before Carina asked in a low voice,

“And Sir Percy Rockley?”

“He is alive all right,” the agent answered. “His arm has been amputated. But the doctors say he should be well enough to go back to London in a week or so.”

Carina closed her eyes for a moment. She was uncertain whether she was glad or sorry at the news.

“And what about Robert?”

She had gone to sleep thinking of that ghastly moment when Lord Lynche was being held back from entering the blazing Castle door.

As he fought with those who restrained him, through the smoke and flames had staggered the terrible figure of a man. His clothes were on fire, his hair was scorched and his face burned and blackened almost out of recognition.

For a moment everyone had stared, almost it seemed unable to move because it did not seem possible that anyone could come through that inferno and live.

Then, as the burning figure flung himself, weeping bitterly, at Lord Lynche’s feet, Carina recognised the valet who had been in attendance on the white-haired man.

“I couldn’t move him, my Lord,” he sobbed. “I tried everythin’ – but I couldn’t move him – ”

The tears were pouring from his swollen eyes with their burnt lashes. His raw hands were held up beseechingly. Carina gave a little groan of horror at the sight of his blackened lips.

Lord Lynche beat out the flames, put his arm around the man and raised him to his feet.

“It’s all right, Robert,” she heard him say gently. “Mr. Giles was in a coma, he will have felt nothing. Now we must look after you.”

With the help of an ambulance man he half carried the weeping Robert to an ambulance and then came back to give orders that Carina and Dipa should be taken at once in a carriage to the house they had visited the morning they rode with him.

With a little start Carina forced her thoughts away from what had happened last night to hear the agent answering her question.

“I think Robert will be all right,” he said a little doubtfully. “I saw him, but he could not speak to me. They have given him something to make him sleep. His burns are bad, but the doctor said that he had seen worse cases.”