But something must be done. He must send someone. Who was there to send? There was Hester! She was a favourite with her uncle! And she would not dread the interview, which to him would be an unendurable humiliation. For he had had many arguments with this same brother-in-law concerning the way he brought up his children. They had all turned out well and here was his miserable son a felon, disgracing both families! Yes, let Hester go! There were things a woman could do better than a man! Hester was no child now but a capable woman. While she was gone he could be making up his mind what to do with the wretched boy!

He led Hester again from her mother’s room and gave her the letter to read. He watched her as she read—saw her grow pale, then flush, then turn pale again. What she was thinking he could not tell, but he made his proposal at once.

“Hester,” he said, “I cannot leave your mother. You must go for me to your uncle and do the best you can. If it were not for your mother, I would have the rascal prosecuted, but it would break her heart.”

“Yes, papa,” she answered, “I shall be ready to catch the evening train. Am I to say anything to Corney?”

“You have nothing to do with him,” he answered sternly. “What is the good of keeping a villain from being as much of a villain as he has within him to be? I will sign you a blank check, which your uncle can fill in with the amount Cornelius has stolen.”

On her way to her room Hester met the major. He had just heard of her mother’s attack, as he had been out for a long walk.

“But what did it, Hester?” he said. “I can smell in the air that something has gone wrong. What the deuce is it?”

They had met in a dark part of the corridor and had now, at a turn, come opposite a window. Then first the major saw Hester’s face. He had never seen her look like that!

“Is your mother in danger?” His tone became gentle, for his heart was, in reality, a most tender one.

“She is very ill. The doctor has been with her now for three hours. I am going to London for papa. He can’t leave her.”

“Going to London—and by the night train!” said major to himself. “Then there has been bad news! It must be that scoundrel Corney up to some mischief—damn him! I shouldn’t be surprised to hear anything bad of him.”

But before he had a chance to say anything, he looked up and Hester was gone.