“Hadn’tIbetterfetchadoctor，sir？“heasked。“I’mafraidhe’shurt。“
　　“Nothe！“Horseransweredcontemptuously。“He’scuthischeekalittle，that’sall。Puthimtobed。SayIshallberoundagainbynineo’clock。“
　　Horserputonhiscoatandleftthehouse。Themorningsunlightwasfloodingthestreets。AwaydowntownMr。Sabinwasdozinginhishigh-backedchair。
　　Felix，afteranuneventfulvoyage，landeddulyatLiverpool。TohisamazementthefirstpersonhesawuponthequaywasMr。Sabin，leaninguponhisstickandsmokingacigarette。
　　“Come，come，Felix！“heexclaimed。“Don’tlookatmeasthoughI
　　wereaghost。Youhaveverylittleconfidenceinme，afterall，I
　　see。“
　　“But-howdidyougethere？“
　　“TheCampania，ofcourse。Ihadplentyoftime。Itwaseasyenoughforthosefellowstoarrestme，buttheyneverhadachanceofholdingme。“
　　“Buthowdidyougetawayintime？“
　　Mr。Sabinsighed。
　　“Itwasverysimple，“hesaid。“Oneday，whileoneofthosewonderfulspieswassleepingonmydoormatIslippedawayandwentovertoWashington，sawtheEnglishAmbassador，convincedhimofmybonafides，toldhimverynearlythewholetruth。HepromisedifI
　　wiredhimthatIwasarrestedtotakemycaseupatonce。Yousentthedespatch，andhekepthisword。IbreakfastedonSaturdaymorningattheWaldorf，andthoughagreatdraywasdrivenintomycarriageonthewaytotheboat，Iescaped，asIalwaysdo-andhereIam。“
　　“Unhurt！“Felixremarkedwithasmile，“asusual！“
　　Mr。Sabinnodded。
　　“Thedriverofmycarriagewaskilled，andDusonhadhisarmbroken，“
　　hesaid。“Isteppedoutofthedebriswithoutascratch。ComeintotheCustomsHousenowandgetyourbaggagethrough。Ihavetakenacoupeonthespecialtrainandorderedlunch。“
　　BeforelongtheywereonthewaytoLondon。Mr。Sabin，whilstluncheonwasbeingserved，talkedonlyofthelightestmatters。
　　Butafterwards，whencoffeewasservedandbehadlitacigarette，heleanedovertowardsFelix。
　　“Felix，“hesaid，“yoursisterisdeartoyou？“
　　“Sheistheonlycreatureonearth，“Felixsaid，“whomIcarefor。
　　Sheisverydeartome，indeed。“
　　“AmIright，“Mr。Sabinasked，“inassumingthattheoldenmitybetweenusisdead，thatthelastfewyearshaswipedawaytheoldsoreness“Yes，“Felixanswered。“Iknowthatshewashappywithyou。Thatisenoughforme。“
　　“YouandI，“Mr。Sabincontinued，“mustworkouthersalvation。DonotbeafraidthatIamgoingtoaskyouimpossibilities。Iknowthatourwaysmustlieapart。Youcangotoheratonce。Itmaybemany，manymonthsbeforeIcancatchevenaglimpseofher。
　　Nevermind。Letmefeelthatshehasyouwithinthecircle，andI
　　without，withourlivesdevotedtoher。“
　　“Youmayrelyuponthat，“Felixanswered。“WhereversheisIamgoing。Ishallbethere。Iwillwatchoverher。“
　　Mr。Sabinsighed。
　　“Themoredifficulttaskismine，“hesaid，“butIhavenofearoffailure。Ishallfindhersurroundedbyspies，bythosewhoarenowmyenemies。Still，theywillfindithardtoshakemeoff。Itmaybethattheytookherfrommeonlyoutofrevenge。Ifthatbesomytaskwillbeeasier。Ifthereareotherdangerswhichsheiscalledupontoface，itisstillpossiblethattheymightacceptmyserviceinstead。“
　　“Youwouldgiveit？“Felixexclaimed。
　　“Tothelastdropofbloodinmybody，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“SaveformyloveforherIamadeadmanupontheearth。Ihavenolongerpoliticsorambition。Sothepastcaneasilybeexpunged。
　　Thosewhomustbeherguidinginfluenceshallbemine。
　　“Youwillwinherback，“Felixsaid。“Iamsureofit。“
　　“Iamwillingtopayanypriceonearth，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“IftheycanforgetthepastIcan。Iwantyoutorememberthis。I
　　wanthertoknowit。Iwantthemtoknowit。Thatisall，Felix。“
　　Mr。Sabinleanedbackinhisseat。Hehadleftthiscountrylastastrickenanddefeatedman，leftitwiththeechoesofhisruinedschemescrashinginhisears。Hecamebacktoitamanwithonepurposeonly，andthatsuchapurposeasneverbeforehadguidedhim-theloveofawoman。Wasitasignofage，hewondered，thisreturntothehumanities？Hislifehadbeenfullofgreatschemes，hehadwieldedoftenagiganticinfluence，morethanoncehehadmadehistory。Andnowtheloveofthesethingshadgonefromhim。
　　Theirfascinationwaspowerlesstoquickenbyasinglebeathissteadypulse。Monarchyorrepublic-whatdidhecare？ItwasLucillehewanted，thewomanwhohadshownhimhowsweetevendefeatmightbe，whohadmadethesethreeyearsofhislifesohappythattheyseemedtohavepassedinonedelightfuldream。Weretheydead，annihilated，theseoldambitions，theoldloveofgreatdoings，ordidtheyonlyslumber？Hemovedinhisseatuneasily。
　　AtEustonthetwomenseparatedwithasilenthandshake。Mr。Sabindrovetooneofthelargestandnewestofthemodernhotelsdeluxe。
　　HeenteredhisnameasMr。Sabin-theoldexile’shatredofusinghistitleinaforeigncountryhadbecomeaconfirmedhabitwithhim-andmingledfreelywiththecrowdswhothrongedintotherestaurantatnight。Thereweremanyfaceswhichheremembered，therewereafewwhorememberedhim。Heneithercourtednorshunnedobservation。Hesatatdinner-timeataretiredtable，andfoundhimselfwatchingthepeoplewithastirofpleasure。Afterwardshewentroundtoafamousclub，ofwhichhehadoncebeenmadealifemember，buttowardsmidnighthewasweariedofthedulldecorumofhissurroundings，andreturningtothehotel，soughttherestaurantoncemore。Thestreamofpeoplecomingintosupperwasgreatereventhanatdinner-time。Hefoundasmalltable，andorderedsomeoysters。Thesightofthisbevyofpleasure-seekers，allapparentlywithmultitudesoffriends，mighthaveengenderedasenseoflonelinessinamanofdifferentdisposition。ToMr。Sabinhisisolationwasaluxury。Hehadanuninterruptedopportunityofpursuinghisfavouritestudy。
　　Thereenteredapartytowardsmidnight，tomeetwhomthehead-waiterhimselfcamehurryingfromthefurtherendoftheroom，andwhosearrivalcreatedalittlebuzzofinterest。ThewomanwhoformedthecentralfigureofthelittlegrouphadfortwoyearsknownnorivaleitheratCourtorinSociety。ShewasthemostbeautifulwomaninEngland，beautifultoowithallthesubtlegraceofherroyaldescent。
　　Therewerewomenuponthestagewhosefacesmighthavebornecomparisonwithhers，buttherewasnotonewhoinaroomwouldnothavesunkintoinsignificancebyherside。Hermovements，hercarriagewereincomparable-theinheritedgiftsofaraceofwomenborninpalaces。
　　Mr。Sabin，whoneithershunnednorcourtedobservation，watchedherwithagrimsmilewhichwasnotdevoidofbitterness。Suddenlyshesawhim。Withalittlecryofwondershecametowardshimwithoutstretchedhands。
　　“Itismarvelous，“sheexclaimed。“You？Reallyyou？“
　　Hebowedlowoverherhands。
　　“ItisI，dearHelene，“heanswered。“AmomentagoIwasdreaming。
　　IthoughtthatIwasbackoncemoreatVersailles，andinthepresenceofmyQueen。“
　　Shelaughedsoftly。
　　“TheremaybenoVersailles，“shemurmured，“butyouwillbeacourtiertotheendofyourdays。“
　　“Atleast，“hesaid，“believemethatmycongratulationscomefrommyheart。Yourhappinessiswritteninyourface，andyourhusbandmustbetheproudestmaninEngland。“
　　Hewasstandingnowbyherside，andheheldouthishandtoMr。
　　Sabin。
　　“Ihope，sir，“hesaidpleasantly，“thatyoubearmenoill-will。“
　　“Itwouldbemadness，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“TobethemostbeautifulpeeressinEnglandisperhapsforHeleneahappierfatethantobethefirstqueenofanewdynasty。“
　　“Andyou，uncle？“Helenesaid。“Youarebackfromyourexilethen。
　　HowoftenIhavefeltdisposedtosmilewhenIthoughtofyou，ofallmen，inAmerica。