tantly and reassuringly Lucas's hand clasped hers. "Don't be afraid!"
he said. "They are moving him to another room, that's all."

She sank back, shuddering, her face hidden. The sound continued, seeming
to come nearer--the sound of a man's voice shrieking horribly for help,
in piercing accents of terror that might have come from a
torture-chamber. Suddenly the yells became articulate, resolved into
words: "Anne! Anne! Anne!" in terrible crescendo.

She sprang up with a sharp cry.

But on the instant the man beside her spoke. "Anne, you are not to go."

She paused irresolute. "I must! I must! He is calling me!"

"You are not to go," he reiterated, and for the first time she heard the
dominant note in his voice. "Come here, child! Come close to me! It will
soon be over."

Her irresolution passed like a cloud. She looked down, saw his blue eyes
shining straight up at her, kind still, but compelling. And she dropped
upon her knees beside him and hid her face upon his shoulder, with the
cry of, "Help me! Help me! I can't bear it!"

He folded his arms about her as though he had been a woman, and
held her fast.

Long after the awful sounds had died away Anne knelt there, sobbing,
utterly unstrung, all her pride laid low, herself no more than a broken,
agonised woman. But gradually, from sheer exhaustion, her sobs became
less anguished, till at length they ceased. A strange peace, wholly
unaccountable, fell gently upon her torn spirit. But even then it was
long before she moved. She felt an overwhelming reluctance to withdraw
herself from the shelter of those quiet arms.

"What must you think of me?" she whispered at last, her face still
hidden.

"My dear," he said, "I understand."

He did not offer to release her, but as she moved she found herself free,
she found herself able to look into his face.

"I shall never forget your goodness to me," she said very earnestly.

He smiled a little, after a fashion she did not wholly comprehend. "My
dear Lady Carfax! You underrate friendship when you say a thing like
that. Sit down, won't you? And let me tell you what brought me here."

"Nap told you--" she hazarded.

"Yes, Nap told me. And I decided I had better come at once. I wasn't in
when he got back, or I should have been here sooner. I saw there had been
a gross misunderstanding, and I hoped I should be able to get your
husband to take a reasonable view."

"Ah!" she said, with a shiver. "I--I'm thankful you did