Part 46 (1/2)

She saw that he atching her, and met his eyes firmly

”Do you think Rob will escape?” she asked

”I feel sure that he will The police did not know hiht But he was only just in time A few seconds more, and he--we--must have been taken”

She was silent for a tiht not to have left him, poor fellow! It was cowardly at such a tiht,” said Chester, firmly ”Your presence would have been a hindrance to him in his endeavours to escape, and for your sake, horrible as all this is, I hope he will get right away”

”But I ought not to have left hihed Marion, and further conversation ceased, for the cab stopped and they entered the station

Here Chester took tickets for Kensington Then he crossed to the other side of the line, and took tickets back right to the City, and leaving the station there, plunged with his co which filled the streets, and finally, feeling pretty confident that they were not followed, he ended by taking a cab to Raybeck Square

Marion started as she heard the address given, and there was a look of reproach in her eyes as she said onceravely; ”to my aunt and sister, elcome you as the lady ill be my wife”

”Your wife! Oh no, no, no!” she said sadly ”That is impossible now”

”Why?” he whispered tenderly

”Why?” she cried ”Did you hear? Can you not see how I a froht to be with theently; ”you are wildly excited now Your brain is not in a condition to think calmly and dispassionately of your position It may be days before it recovers its balance Till then, Marion, try and think this one thing--that you are watched over by one to whom your honour and safety are more than his own life Marion, my own--my very own--let the past be dead; the future shall be hed piteously and shi+vered, as she lay back in the corner of the cab, and, startled by her manner, he hurriedly took her hand

She shrank back, looking wildly at him, till she fully realised his object, and then with a weary sned her hand

”You are utterly prostrated by the shock of what you have gone through,”

he said gravely ”We shall not be long now Try--try hard to be calm

The distance is very short, and then you will feel safe and soon grow corateful look, and then closed her eyes, lying back with her face ghastly pale, and the nerves at the sides of her te sharply at times, as if she were in pain

But she sat up when the cab stopped, and gave Chester her hand as she alighted, and walked with him up the steps and into the house

As the door closed she turned to hihtly, but when he made a movement to catch her in his arms, she shrank away, and he drew back and offered his hand

She laid hers within it, and his first thought was to take her into his consulting-roo-rooh till they were nearly at the landing, when he felt her swerve, and but for his quick action she would have fallen back

”My poor darling!” he whispered, as he lifted her in his arms ”You have done h”

It was but a few steps, and then he paused upon the landing while he threw open the drawing-room door and bore her in, quite insensible now to all that passed

For as he entered the room Chester found himself face to face with his sister; but she was not, as he had anticipated, alone Isabel ith her, and they stood gazing at him as if stunned by the sudden intrusion

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO