Asitwillthenbetoolate，andtheinstrumentsarealreadypreparedforthelittleoperationwhichhergraceiseagerlyanticipating，itwould，perhaps，beaswell，afterall，thatyoushouldgivemeintocharge。Youwouldhavesavedyourfivehundredpounds，andyouwould，atanyrate，havesomethinginexchangeforhergrace’smutilatedlimb。Ah，hereistheconstable！Officer！“
　　Thestrangerspokewithsuchapleasantlittleairofeasygenialitythatitwasimpossibletotellifhewereinjestorinearnest。Thisfactimpressedthedukemuchmorethanifhehadgoneinforaliberalindulgenceofthe——underthecircumstances——
　　orthodoxmelodramaticscowling。And，indeed，inthefaceofhisowncommonsense，itimpressedMr。IvorDacretoo。
　　Thiswell-bred，well-groomedyouthwasjustthebeingtorealize——
　　auxboutsdesongles——amoderntypeofthedevil，thetypewhichdepictshimasaperfectgentleman，whokeepssmilingallthetime。
　　Theconstablewhomthisaudaciousroguehadsignaledapproachedthelittlegroup。Headdressedthestranger:
　　“Doyouwantme，sir？“
　　“No，Idonotwantyou。IthinkitistheDukeofDatchet。“
　　Theconstable，whoknewthedukeverywellbysight，salutedhimasheturnedtoreceiveinstructions。
　　Thedukelookedwhite，evensavage。Therewasnotapleasantlookinhiseyesandabouthislips。Heappearedtobeendeavoringtoputagreatrestraintuponhimself。Therewasamomentarysilence。
　　Mr。Dacremadeamovementasiftointerpose。Thedukecaughthimbythearm。
　　Hespoke:“No，constable，Idonotwantyou。Thispersonismistaken。“
　　Theconstablelookedasifhecouldnotquitemakeouthowsuchamistakecouldhavearisen，hesitated，then，withanothersalute，hemovedaway。
　　Thestrangerwasstillholdinghiswatchinhishand。
　　“Onlyeightminutes，“hesaid。
　　Thedukeseemedtoexperiencesomedifficultyingivingutterancetowhathehadtosay。
　　“IfIgiveyouthisfivehundredpounds，you——you——“
　　Asthedukepaused，asifatalossforlanguagewhichwasstrongenoughtoconveyhismeaning，thestrangerlaughed。
　　“Letustaketheadjectivesforgranted。Besides，itisonlyboyswhocalleachothernames——mendothings。Ifyougivemethefivehundredsovereigns，whichyouhaveinthatbag，atonce——infiveminutesitwillbetoolate——Iwillpromise——Iwillnotswear；ifyoudonotcreditmysimplepromise，youwillnotbelievemysolemnaffirmation——Iwillpromisethat，possiblywithinanhour，certainlywithinanhourandahalf，theDuchessofDatchetshallreturntoyouabsolutelyuninjured——except，ofcourse，asyouarealreadyaware，withregardtoafewofthehairsofherhead。I
　　willpromisethisontheunderstandingthatyoudonotyourselfattempttoseewhereIgo，andthatyouwillallownooneelsetodoso。“ThiswithaglanceatIvorDacre。“IshallknowatonceifIamfollowed。Ifyouentertainsuchintentions，youhadbetter，onallaccounts，remaininpossessionofyourfivehundredpounds。“
　　Thedukeeyedhimverygrimly。
　　“Ientertainnosuchintentions——untiltheduchessreturns。“
　　Againthestrangerindulgedinthatmusicallaughofhis。
　　“Ah，untiltheduchessreturns！Ofcourse，thenthebargain’satanend。Whenyouareoncemoreintheenjoymentofhergrace’ssociety，youwillbeatlibertytosetallthedogsinEuropeatmyheels。IassureyouIfullyexpectthatyouwilldoso——whynot？“
　　Thedukeraisedthecanvasbag。“Mydearduke，tenthousandthanks！YoushallseehergraceatDatchetHouse，’ponmyhonor，probablywithinthehour。“
　　“Well，“commentedIvorDacre，whenthestrangerhadvanished，withthebag，intoPiccadilly，andasthedukeandhimselfmovedtowardBurlingtonGardens，“ifagentlemanistoberobbed，itisaswellthatheshouldhaveanothergentlemanrobhim。“
　　III
　　Mr。Dacreeyedhiscompanioncovertlyastheyprogressed。HisGraceofDatchetappearedtohavesomefreshcauseforuneasiness。
　　Allatoncehegaveitutterance，inatoneofvoicewhichwasextremelysomber:
　　“Ivor，doyouthinkthatscoundrelwilldaretoplaymefalse？“
　　“Ithink，“murmuredMr。Dacre，“thathehasdaredtoplayyouprettyfalsealready。“
　　“Idon’tmeanthat。ButImeanhowamItoknow，nowthathehashismoney，thathewillstillnotkeepMabelinhisclutches？“
　　TherecameanechofromMr。Dacre。
　　“Justso——howareyoutoknow？“
　　“IbelievethatsomethingofthissorthasbeendoneintheStates。“
　　“Ithoughtthattheretheywerecontenttokidnapthemaftertheyweredead。Iwasnotawarethattheyhad，asyet，gotquitesofarastheliving。“
　　“IbelievethatIhaveheardofsomethingjustlikethis。“
　　“Possibly；theyaregiantsoverthere。“
　　“Andinthatcasethescoundrels，whentheirdemandsweremet，refusedtokeeptotheletteroftheirbargainandaskedformore。“
　　Thedukestoodstill。Heclinchedhisfists，andswore:
　　“Ivor，ifthat——villaindoesn’tkeephisword，andMabelisn’thomewithinthehour，by——Ishallgomad！“
　　“MydearDatchet“——Mr。Dacrelovedstronglanguageaslittleashelovedascene——“letustrusttotimeand，alittle，toyourwhite-
　　hattedandgardenia-buttonholedfriend’swordofhonor。Youshouldhavethoughtofpossibleeventualitiesbeforeyoushowedyourconfidence——really。Suppose，insteadofgoingmad，wefirstofallgohome？“
　　AhansomstoodwaitingforafareattheendoftheArcade。Mr。
　　Dacrehadhandedthedukeintoitbeforehisgracehadquiterealizedthatthevehiclewasthere。
　　“Tellthefellowtodrivefaster。“Thatwaswhatthedukesaidwhenthecabhadstarted。
　　“MydearDatchet，theman’salreadydrivinghisgeerageoffitslegs。Ifabobbycatchessightofhimhe’lltakehisnumber。“
　　Amomentlater，amurmurfromtheduke:
　　“Idon’tknowifyou’reawarethattheprinceiscomingtodinner？“
　　“Iamperfectlyawareofit。“
　　“Youtakeituncommonlycool。Howeasyitistobearourbrother’sburdens！Ivor，ifMabeldoesn’tturnupIshallfeellikemurder。“
　　“Isympathizewithyou，Datchet，withallmyheart，though，Imayobserve，parenthetically，thatIveryfarfromrealizethesituationevenyet。Takemyadvice。Iftheduchessdoesnotshowquiteassoonaswebothofusdesire，don’tmakeascene；justletmeseewhatIcando。“
　　Judgingfromtheexpressionofhiscountenance，thedukewasconsciousofnooverwhelmingdesiretowitnessanexhibitionofMr。
　　Dacre’sprowess。
　　WhenthecabreachedDatchetHousehisgracedashedupthestepsthreeatatime。Thedoorflewopen。
　　“Hastheduchessreturned？“
　　“Hereward！“
　　Avoicefloateddownwardfromabove。Someonecamerunningdownthestairs。ItwasherGraceofDatchet。
　　“Mabel！“
　　Sheactuallyrushedintotheduke’sextendedarms。Andhekissedher，andshekissedhim——beforetheservants。
　　“Soyou’renotquitedead？“shecried。
　　“Iamalmost，“hesaid。
　　Shedrewherselfalittleawayfromhim。
　　“Hereward，wereyouseriouslyhurt？“
　　“DoyousupposethatIcouldhavebeenotherwisethanseriouslyhurt？“
　　“Mydarling！WasitaPickford’svan？“
　　Thedukestared。
　　“APickford’svan？Idon’tunderstand。Butcomeinhere。Comealong，Ivor。Mabel，youdon’tseeIvor。“
　　“Howdoyoudo，Mr。Dacre？“
　　Thenthetriowithdrewintoalittleanteroom；itwasreallytime。
　　EventhenthepairconductedthemselvesasifMr。Dacrehadbeennothingandnoone。Theduketookthelady’stwohandsinhis。Heeyedherfondly。
　　“Soyouareuninjured，withtheexceptionofthatlockofhair。
　　Wheredidthevillaintakeitfrom？“
　　Theladylookedalittlepuzzled。
　　“Whatlockofhair？“
　　Fromanenvelopewhichhetookfromhispocketthedukeproducedashiningtress。Itwasthelockofhairwhichhadarrivedinthefirstcommunication。“Iwillhaveitframed。“
　　“Youwillhavewhatframed？“Theduchessglancedatwhatthedukewassotenderlycaressing，almost，asitseemed，alittledubiously。“Whateverisityouhavethere？“
　　“Itisthelockofhairwhichthatscoundrelsentme。“Somethinginthelady’sfacecausedhimtoaskaquestion:
　　“Didn’thetellyouhehadsentittome？“
　　“Hereward！“
　　“Didthebrutetellyouthathemeanttocutoffyourlittlefinger？“
　　Averycuriouslookcameintothelady’sface。Sheglancedatthedukeasifshe，allatonce，washalfafraidofhim。ShecastatMr。Dacrewhatreallyseemedtobealookofinquiry。Hervoicewastremulouslyanxious。
　　“Hereward，did——didtheaccidentaffectyoumentally？“
　　“Howcoulditnothaveaffectedmementally？Doyouthinkthatmymentalorganizationisofsteel？“
　　“Butyoulooksowell。“
　　“OfcourseIlookwell，nowthatIhaveyoubackagain。Tellme，darling，didthathoundactuallythreatenyouwithcuttingoffyourarm？Ifhedid，Ishallfeelhalfinclinedtokillhimyet。“
　　Theduchessseemedpositivelytoshrinkfromherbetterhalf’snearneighborhood。
　　“Hereward，wasitaPickford’svan？“
　　Thedukeseemedpuzzled。Wellhemightbe。
　　“WaswhataPickford’svan？“
　　TheladyturnedtoMr。Dacre。Inhervoicetherewasaringofanguish。
　　“Mr。Dacre，tellme，wasitaPickford’svan？“Ivorcouldonlyimitatehisrelative’srepetitionofherinquiry。
　　“Idon’tquitecatchyou——waswhataPickford’svan？“
　　Theduchessclaspedherhandsinfrontofher。
　　“Whatisityouarekeepingfromme？Whatisityouaretryingtohide？Iimploreyoutotellmetheworst，whateveritmaybe！Donotkeepmeanylongerinsuspense；youdonotknowwhatIalreadyhaveendured。Mr。Dacre，ismyhusbandmad？“
　　Oneneedscarcelyobservethatthelady’samazingappealtoMr。
　　Dacreastoherhusband’ssanitywasreceivedwithsomethinglikesurprise。Asthedukecontinuedtostareather，adreadfulfearbegantoloominhisbrain。
　　“Mydarling，yourbrainisunhinged！“
　　Headvancedtotakehertwohandsagaininhis；but，tohisunmistakabledistress，sheshrankawayfromhim。
　　“Hereward——don’ttouchme。HowisitthatImissedyou？WhydidyounotwaituntilIcame？“
　　“Waituntilyoucame？“
　　Theduke’sbewildermentincreased。
　　“Surely，ifyourinjuriesturnedout，afterall，tobeslight，thatwasallthemorereasonwhyyoushouldhavewaited，aftersendingformelikethat。“
　　“Isentforyou——I？“Theduke’stonewasgrave。“Mydarling，perhapsyouhadbettercomeupstairs。“
　　“Notuntilwehavehadanexplanation。YoumusthaveknownthatI
　　shouldcome。Whydidyounotwaitformeafteryouhadsentmethat？“
　　Theduchessheldoutsomethingtotheduke。Hetookit。Itwasacard——hisownvisitingcard。Somethingwaswrittenonthebackofit。Hereadaloudwhatwaswritten。