That will not do," he said decidedly. "I would rather you wired to me
from Paddington--the letter can follow. Surely you can have no
objection," he continued, as Cedric seemed reluctant to do this; "it
will set my mind at rest, and I shall have a better night;" and then
Cedric rather ungraciously promised that a telegram should be sent.

"You must be very firm," were Malcolm's parting words, and Cedric
nodded impatiently as he put on his cap and gown.

Malcolm slept restlessly; he was tired and anxious, and had done a hard
day's work. His failure to influence Cedric troubled him greatly.

"They will talk him over," he repeated, "and that woman will lure him
into her wiles again;" and Malcolm felt there was grave cause for fear,
as he remembered Leah's rare beauty, and the strange brilliancy of her
dark, melancholy eyes. Oh, what would Dinah Templeton say if she knew
of the danger that threatened her cherished boy!

Malcolm tossed restlessly on his bed as he tried to formulate plans,
which he rejected one by one. "If it comes to the worst, I must do as
Mrs. Godfrey suggests," he thought--"I must go down to the Wood House
and take counsel with them;" and in all probability it was this thought
that kept him wakeful.

The next morning Malcolm learnt from Cedric's scout that his master had
left by an early train; and as he himself had one or two appointments
that morning, he only waited to swallow a hasty breakfast before he
followed him.

For the next few hours he was very busy, and could hardly give Cedric a
thought; but as work slackened and the afternoon wore on, he wondered
at the non-arrival of the telegram. It was half-past four before
Malachi brought in the yellow envelope. Malcolm frowned as he read it.

"Know all--have forgiven all--engagement holds good--sorry cannot take
advice.--TEMPLETON."

"Unhappy boy," he groaned, "the fowler has him in his net again." Then
he scrunched the thin paper in his hand, and set his teeth hard like a
man who sees the dentist coming towards him with the forceps.

"I must go down to them; there is nothing else for me to do. I dare not
take the responsibility of keeping this to myself an hour longer. It is
all in the day's work, as the lion-tamer said when the lion prepared to
bite off his head." And after this grim jest Malcolm summoned Malachi
and confided the Gladstone bag to his care, and they sallied forth
together. At Waterloo he sent off a telegram to Verity; a few min