No report was made to the police, and for a wonder no reporter got hold of the circumstance. Lord Maltravers followed his servant to the hospital, and appeared much concerned about his condition. After the house surgeon had made an examination he was prepared with his report. "Is it serious?" inquired Maltravers. "Very," was the reply. "Will he live?" "No. The man will die." Lord Maltravers could scarcely contain his exultation at this announcement. "Allow me to ask one more question," he exclaimed. "With pleasure," answered the house surgeon. "Will the poor fellow recover consciousness before he expires?" "Possibly he will. I cannot say positively." "When do you expect death to ensue?" "Inside of forty-eight hours." Lord Maltravers went away, slightly disturbed in his mind. If Bambino recovered consciousness for only a brief period, he might talk. There was danger in that. If he denounced Lord Maltravers as his murderer, and if he pointed out the place where Adéle Bellefontaine was living, his lordship's newly-found happiness would topple over like a pack of cards built into a house by the hand of a child, whose breath subsequently destroys the frail edifice. Eagerly he longed for the time to pass. Three times that day he called at the hospital. His last visit was at twelve o'clock. Bambino had not yet spoken. CHAPTER XV. MR. MOLE PLAYS BASE-BALL. Captain Cannon and Mr. Twinkle went back to England after the famous buffalo-hunt, feeling themselves insulted by the trick which had been played upon them. Jack, Harvey and Professor Mole remained at the hotel. It may readily be imagined that Jack was in no enviable frame of mind. Alfred Van Hoosen was his friend and wished him to marry his sister, but Lena had promised to espouse Lord Maltravers, and so great was the mother's influence that the day was already fixed. Jack expected every day that Alfred would come to him and propose some plan by means of which the celebration of the marriage could be prevented. He waited in vain and fumed and fretted until he grew ill and pale. Little did he know that at the same time Lord Maltravers was as uneasy as he was himself. He knew nothing about the dangerous condition of the villain Bambino, and that Maltravers was standing, as it were, on a volcano which might at any time erupt and scatter all his fond ideas to the winds, dash his happiness to atoms and shatter the idol which he had set up for himself to worship. If Bambino recovered sufficiently to speak, then all hope of a union with Lena Van Hoosen was at an end. While affairs were in this condition, Mr. Mole made the acquaintance of a young man who was living with his parents in the hotel. It happened in this way. The Continental Hotel, on Broadway, was the caravansera which Harkaway and the members of the Travelers' Club stayed at, and the genial proprietor, Mr. Merrifield, was much interested in the eccentric professor.