pon Lucille so great
that she is forced to obey their bidding. Lady Carey is one, the Duchess
of Dorset is another. They are no friends of mine, and apparently
Lucille has been taken away from me by them."

"A--a hold upon her?" Helene repeated vaguely.

"It is all I can tell you. You must suppose an extreme case. You may
take my word for it that under certain circumstances Lucille would have
no power to deny them anything."

"But--without a word of farewell. They could not insist upon her leaving
you like that! It is incredible!"

"It is quite possible," Mr. Sabin said.

Helene caught herself looking at him stealthily. Was it possible that
this wonderful brain had given way at last? There were no signs of it
in his face or expression. But the Duchess of Dorset! Lady Carey! These
were women of her own circle--Londoners, and the Duchess, at any rate,
a woman of the very highest social position and unimpeached
conventionality.

"This sounds--very extraordinary, UNCLE!" she remarked a little lamely.

"It is extraordinary," he answered drily. "I do not wonder that you find
it hard to believe me. I--"

"Not to believe--to understand!"

He smiled.

"We will not distinguish! After all, what does it matter? Assume, if
you cannot believe, that Lucille's leaving me may have been at the
instigation of these people, and therefore involuntary. If this be so
I have hard battle to fight to win her back, but in the end I shall do
it."

She nodded sympathetically.

"I am sure," she said, "that you will not find it difficult. Tell me,
cannot I help you in any way? I know the Duchess very well indeed--well
enough to take you to call quite informally if you please. She is a
great supporter of what they call the Primrose League here. I do not
understand what it is all about, but it seems that I may not join
because my husband is a Radical."

Mr. Sabin looked for a moment over his clasped hands through the faint
blue cloud of cigarette smoke, and sundry possibilities flashed through
his mind to be at once rejected. He shook his head.

"No!" he said firmly. "I do not wish for your help at present, directly
or indirectly. If you meet the Countess I would rather that you did not
mention my name. There is only one person whom, if you met at Dorset
House or anywhere where Lucille is, I would ask you to watch. That is
Mr. Brott!"

It was to be a conversation full of surprises for Helene. Mr. Brott!
Her hand went up to her fore