There was no doubt about it, for the old gentleman looked very haggard. A hearty supper, however, restored him, and he left the club in pretty good spirits to accompany Dick to Westbourne Road, where they were met by the announcement that "master came back a bit ago, and went away with missus." "What does this mean?" said Dick sternly. "Mean, my boy? Why, that he has got bail." "I'm afraid not," said Dick to himself, and, with the full belief that his brother-in-law had contrived to escape, he accompanied his father home, keeping, however, his thoughts to himself. In the morning, however, there was the news that a message had come for her ladyship to go to Wimpole Street, where Mrs Huish had arrived on the previous night. "Was John Huish there, too?" asked Dick sharply. "I did not hear," said her ladyship haughtily. "I know nothing of such a person, and I will not have my name sullied by mention in connection with his." "But you'll go and see Gertrude?" "No," exclaimed her ladyship. "It was Gertrude's duty to come to me if she were in trouble. If she prefers her uncle's help, let her enjoy it. I have no more to say, except that I shall not go; and, Humphrey, I forbid you to go there--for the present." "And me, too," said Dick quietly. "You have long ceased to obey me," said her ladyship austerely, "and must take your own course. _I_ will not, however, be dragged into this dreadful scandal." "Humph!" said Dick. "Then you let it all out, father, after you'd gone to bed?" "Yes, my son, yes. Your mamma was very anxious, and I told her all." "As you like. I'm off now to secure counsel. We'll have him out before night." Lady Millet sighed and wiped her eyes, but no one paid any heed to her, so she consoled her injured feelings with a good breakfast. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Meantime, John Huish sat through the night, thinking, and calling up from the past all the strange things that had been laid to his charge. "What does it mean?" he said aloud. "Am I a madman or a somnambulist, or do I lead a double life?" It was terrible, that being shut up in such a place; for when the other prisoners were silent, there was a dreadful clock close by, which seemed in its cold, harsh, brazen way to goad him to distraction. It was a hurried clock, that always seemed manifesting itself and warning people of the flight of time, so that every quarter of an hour it fired off a vicious "ting-tang" in the two discordant notes that made a bad descending third, repeating itself at the half-hours, tripling at the third quarter, and at the hour snapping as it were at the world four times before allowing the hammer on another bell to rapidly go off _slam--slam--slam_! till its duty was done. "Clocks are bad enough," he thought, "from the warnings they give of how short our lives are growing; but when a man is in trouble and bells are added, the effect is maddening indeed."