been with her two hours ago--he should
now be far on his way to freedom. Alas, something appalling had
happened, she was sure of it.

At last there hove in sight, coming from the direction in which lay the
prison, a group of three men. It was a jaunty party, evidently under the
influence of many libations. They came with arms linked, with dignified
but unsteady gait, their hats well back on their heads. In the middle
was a very tall man, flanked on one side by a very short fat one, on the
other by a slender youth who wanted to sing.

She recognised them and would have drawn back to a less exposed spot,
but the slender youth saw her before she could do so. He shouted to his
companions as if they were two blocks away.

"There she is! Hooray!"

They bore down upon her. The next instant they were solemnly shaking
hands with her, much to her dismay.

"Cons'ance, we've been lookin' f-fer you ever'-where in town. W-where on
earth 've you been?" asked Mr. Rodney thickly, with a laudable attempt
at severity.

"Ever sinch 'leven o'clock, Conshance," supplemented Freddie, trying to
frown.

"My dear Miss F-Fowler," began Odell-Carney in, his most suave manner,
"it is after two o'clock. In--in the morning at that. You--you shouldn't
be sittin' here all 'lone thish--this hour in the morning. Please come
home with us. Your mother hash--has ask us to fetch you--I mean your
sister. Beg pardon."

"I--I cannot go, gentlemen," she stammered. "Please don't insist--please
don't ask why. I cannot go--"

"I shay, Conshance, by Jove, the joke's on you," exclaimed Freddie. "I
know who 't ish you're waitin' f-for. Well, he can't come. He's locked
in."

"Freddie, you are drunk!" in deep scorn.

"I know it," he admitted cheerfully. "We've looked ever'where for you.
We're your frien's. He said it was at 'n eatin'-house. We've been ever'
eatin'-house in Inchbrook. Was here first of all. Leave it to Rodney.
Wassen we, Rodney? You bet we was. You wassen here at 'leven o'clock.
Come on home, Conshance. 'S all right. He's safe. He can't come."

"But he will come, unless something terrible has happened to him," she
almost sobbed in her desperation. "Cousin Alfred, _won't_ you go to the
gaol and see what has happened?"

Mr. Rodney took off his hat gallantly and would have gone to do her
bidding had not Mr. Odell-Carney laid a restraining grip upon his
shoulder.

"Let me explain, Miss F-Fowler. You shee--see, he told us you'd be here,
b