f the party would not need
to be told.

All at once a commotion on the terrace, in which the clamour of a score
of different voices, all making different suggestions at the same time,
mingled with the sound of heavy footfalls, caused the party in the
drawing-room to repair to the scene of the disturbance.

"What on earth's the matter?" cried Mrs. Delarayne aghast, as she beheld
the group advancing slowly from the top of the steps. "Anybody hurt?"

"Yes," said Agatha coming towards her, and looking very much agitated.
"Stephen has been shot in the shoulder."

"Nothing serious!" shouted the injured youth, as he came forward on the
arms of Guy and the Incandescent Gerald.

"Has a doctor been sent for?" Sir Joseph demanded.

"Yes, one of the under-keepers went to the garage, and a car left a
moment ago," said Agatha.

"But how did it happen?" cried Mrs. Delarayne shrilly.

"Lord Henry did it," said Miss Mallowcoid, nodding her head resentfully,
as if to imply to her sister that now there could no longer be any
question as to who had been right all this time in regard to their
estimate of the young nobleman.

"Lord Henry?" Mrs. Delarayne repeated, utterly confused.

"Yes, he did it by accident," Mrs. Tribe explained.

"Lord Henry!" the baronet ejaculated under his breath. "Damn Lord
Henry!" And Mrs. Delarayne, Miss Mallowcoid, and Denis regarded him each
in their own peculiar way.

Stephen was laid on Mrs. Delarayne's _chaise-longue_ on the terrace.
Brandy was fetched and Mrs. Delarayne knelt down beside him. His
shoulder was already neatly bandaged, but his torn shirt, his waistcoat,
and his sleeve, were saturated with blood.

"Is it painful, dear lad?" Mrs. Delarayne enquired.

"No, not so very," he replied.

"He only says that, of course!" Miss Mallowcoid averred in a whisper to
Sir Joseph. "But you can see he's in agony." The spinster was evidently
desirous of making the case look as black as possible.

"Who bandaged him up like that?" Sir Joseph asked of Guy.

"Lord Henry."

Sir Joseph tossed his head. It seemed as if he must never hear the last
of that name. "But where is he?" he enquired.

"I can't think," said Mrs. Tribe. "As soon as he had sent someone after
a doctor and bandaged Stephen up, he ran away from us."

Sir Joseph repeated "ran away from you," with an air of complete
mystification, and Miss Mallowcoid raised her brows more than ever, as
if to imply that she, at least, expected not