the duke went down, not to
dine, but to take leave of Lady Belgrade.

He found her ladyship in the drawing-room.

"Give me your arm to dinner, if you please, Duke," she said, rising.

"I hope you will excuse me; but I have only come to say good-by. I have
but time to catch the train. Kerr has already put my luggage in the cab,
which is waiting for me at the door. Good-by, dear Lady Belgrade. You
will co-operate with Setter in all things necessary to a successful
search, I know. Setter has my orders to report to you--"

"You take my breath away!" gasped the dowager.

"Write to me by every mail. Keep me informed of events--"

"You will kill yourself, Duke! flying off without your dinner, and
looking fitter for going to bed than on a journey!" panted the dowager.

"Now then, good-by in earnest, dear Lady Belgrade, and God bless you,"
concluded the duke, raising her hand to his lips and bowing.

And before the dowager could say another word he was gone.

"Well, if he lives to be as old as I am, he will take things easier.
Though, if he goes on at this rate, he won't live to be old," mused the
old lady, as she slowly waddled into the dining-room, and took her seat
at the table to enjoy her solitary green turtle soup.

CHAPTER XXII.

AT LONE.

The Duke of Hereward went out to the close cab that was waiting for him
before the door.

He found his valet standing by it, with a pair of railroad rugs over his
arm.

He directed the man to mount to a seat beside the cabman, and gave the
latter orders where to drive.

Then he entered the cab and closed all the doors and windows, that he
might not be seen by any chance acquaintance.

He was supposed by all the world of London to be away on his wedding
tour, and he was willing to let them continue to believe so, until they
should be enlightened by a report of the great trial, when they would
learn the fact and the explanation at once, and thus be prevented
from making undesirable conjectures and speculations concerning his
presence at such a time in England.

He leaned back on his seat, and the cabman, having received directions
from the valet, drove rapidly off toward the Great Northern Railway
Station at Kings Cross.

An hour's fast drive brought them to their destination.

The duke dispatched his valet to the ticket office to engage a coupe on
the express train, so that he might be entirely private.

And he remained in the cab with closed doors and w