nto his, and they ran together towards the commotion.

Reaching the drawing-room window, Ronnie stopped, and put the trembling
girl behind him. But he himself did not enter. He only stood still, with
a cowed look on his face, and waited. In the middle of the room, Baring,
his face set and terrible, stood gripping Hyde by the torn collar of his
coat and thrashing him, deliberately, mercilessly, with his own
riding-whip. How long the punishment had gone on the two at the window
could only guess. But it was evident that Hyde was nearing exhaustion.
His face was purple in patches, and the curses he tried to utter came
maimed and broken and incoherent from his shaking lips. He had almost
ceased to struggle in the unwavering grip that held him; he only moved
convulsively at each succeeding blow.

"Oh, stop him!" implored Hope, behind her brother. "Stop him!" Then, as
he did not move, she pushed wildly past him into the room.

Baring saw her, and instantly, almost as if he had been awaiting her,
stayed his hand. He did not speak. He simply took Hyde by the shoulders
and half-carried, half-propelled him to the window, through which he
thrust him.

He returned empty-handed and closed the window. Ronnie had entered, and
was standing by his sister, who had dropped upon her knees by the sofa
and hidden her face in the cushions, sobbing with a pasionate
abandonment that testified to nerves that had given way utterly at last
beneath a strain too severe to be borne. Baring just glanced at her,
then turned his attention to her brother.

"I have been doing your work for you," he remarked grimly. "Aren't you
ashamed of yourself?" He put his hand upon Ronnie, and twisted him round
to face the light, looking at him piercingly. "Aren't you ashamed of
yourself?" he repeated.

Ronnie met his eyes irresolutely for a moment, then looked away towards
Hope. She had become very still, but her face remained hidden. There was
something tense about her attitude. After a moment Ronnie spoke, his
voice very low.

"I suppose you had a reason for what you have just been doing?"

"Yes," Baring said sternly, "I had a reason. Do you mean me to
understand that you didn't know that fellow to be a blackguard?"

Ronnie made no answer. He stood like a beaten dog.

"If you didn't know it," Baring continued, "I am sorry for your
intelligence. If you did, you deserve the same treatment as he has just
received."

Hope stirred at the words, stirred and m