Chapter 38 - Page 2

drawing-room door,
looking shaken because he had been questioned and did not know what it
portended.

"What is the matter?" Lord Coombe assisted him with.

"Some one who is asking about Mrs. Gareth-Lawless. He doesn't seem
satisfied with what I tell him. I took the liberty of saying your
lordship was here and perhaps you'd see him."

"Bring him upstairs."

It was in fact a man who knew Lord Coombe well enough to be aware that
he need make no delay.

"It was one of the worst, my lord," he said in answer to Coombe's first
question. "We've had hard work--and the hardest of it was to hold
things--people--back." He looked hag-ridden as he went on without any
preparation. He was too tired for prefaces.

"There was a lady who went out of here last night. She was with a
gentleman. They were running to a friend's house to see things from the
roof. They didn't get there. The gentleman is in the hospital delirious
to-day. He doesn't know what happened. It's supposed something
frightened her and she lost her wits and ran away. The gentleman tried
to follow her but the lights were out and he couldn't find her in the
dark streets. The running about and all the noises and crashes sent him
rather wild perhaps. Trying to find a frightened woman in the midst of
all that--and not finding her--"

"What ghastly--damnable thing has happened?" Coombe asked with stiff
lips.

"It's both," the man said, "--it's both."

He produced a package and opened it. There was a torn and stained piece
of spangled violet gauze folded in it and on top was a little cardboard
box which he opened also to show a ring with a big amethyst in it set
with pearls.

"Good God!" Coombe ejaculated, getting up from his chair hastily, "Oh!
Good God!"

"You know them?" the man asked.

"Yes. I saw them last night--before she went out."

"She ran the wrong way--she must have been crazy with fright. This--"
the man hesitated a second here and pulled himself together, "--this is
all that was found except--"

"Good God!" said Lord Coombe again and he walked to and fro rapidly,
trying to hold his body rigid.

"The gentleman--his name is Delamore--went on looking--after the raid
was over. Some one saw him running here and there as if he had gone
crazy. He was found afterwards where he'd fainted--near a woman's hand
with this ring on and the piece of scarf in it. He's a strong young chap
but he'd fainted dead. He was carried to the hospital and to-day he's
delirious."

"There--was nothing more?" shuddered