Hickens moved away with alacrity: the word "departure" had reassured him, and also seemed to afford hope that his curiosity would be satisfied. Mr. Chandos caught my hand and drew me through the door to the foot of the stairs. His own hand was trembling, and cold as ice: unconsciously, I think, to himself, he laid it on my shoulder, and spoke in the gentlest whisper. "Go to the west wing, Anne. Knock at the outer door, but do not attempt to enter. Hill will answer you. Tell her to inform Lady Chandos that it is a false alarm; that the officers have only come respecting what was recently lost from my desk, and that I have ordered supper for them. Say that I will be with my mother as soon as possible, but I remain at present to entertain them." He returned swiftly to the parlour, closing the door, leaving me to proceed on my errand. Hill answered my knock, her face and her cap of an equal whiteness, and I delivered the message, speaking in a whisper. Strangely relieved seemed she, at least in an equal degree with Mr. Chandos, and she made me repeat the little I had heard said by the officers, as if scarcely daring to believe the good tidings, without confirmation. "Heaven be praised!" she exclaimed; "it would just have killed my lady. Bless you, child, for a good girl." That Hill's relief of mind must have been something extraordinary for her to bless _me_, one could but acknowledge; and I excused her shutting the baize door in my face. In less than half an hour, I heard the police ride away, as I sat in my chamber, and Mr. Chandos passed to the west wing. It was very dull for me in that lonely bedroom, and only half-past nine o'clock; so I thought I might go down again. Hickens was putting the things together on the supper tray. "Miss, do you know what those men came for?" he asked. "Well, Hickens, not exactly. Nothing at all to be afraid of, so far as I could gather. I heard Mr. Chandos laughing with them when they went away." "Oh, I heard that; I was rung for to show 'em out," returned Hickens. "My opinion is this, Miss, that it's just a scandal for policemen to ride up at will in the dark night to a gentleman's seat—almost a nobleman's—and if I were Mr. Chandos I'd let them know it. Swords clanging to 'em, indeed! What next?" He went away with his tray. Five minutes afterwards Mr. Chandos came down. He was so gay; his step was light, his face smiling. It was only the reaction that sometimes sets in after deliverance from great fear. I had not thought to see him again that night: and stupidly said so. "No! I came to look after you; lest you should have melted away with terror. Were you very much scared, Anne?" "Yes; just at first." "Take it for all in all this has been a sensational evening," he resumed, laughing. "My accident at the window; your discovery of the marked money in your box; and the visitation of the police. Private families cannot in general boast of so much entertainment all at once."