"Yes, my good man, I am Mrs. Villiers." "If you please, ma'am, I am Saunders, one of the porters at the Union Club." "I remember: has any message come there? or does Mr. Villiers owe you any money?" and her purse was in her hand. "O no, ma'am. Mr. Villiers is a good gentleman; and he has been petiklar generous to me--and that is why I come, because I am afraid," continued the man, lowering his tone, "that he is in danger." "Good heavens! Where? how?" cried Ethel, starting from her chair. "Tell me at once." "Yes, ma'am, I will; so you must know that this evening--" "Yes, this evening. What has happened? he left me at six o'clock--what is it?" "Nothing, I hope, this evening, ma'am. I am only afraid for to-morrow morning. And I will tell you all I know, as quick as ever I can." The man then proceeded to relate, that some one had been inquiring about Mr. Villiers at the Club House. One of the servants had told him that he lived in Duke Street, St. James's, and that was all he knew; but Saunders came up, and the man questioned him. He instantly recognized the fellow, and knew what his business must be. And he tried to deceive him, and declared that Mr. Villiers was gone out of town; but the fellow said that he knew better than that; and that he had been seen that very day in the Strand. He should look for him, no thanks to Saunders, in Duke Street. "And so, ma'am, you see they'll be sure to be here early to-morrow morning. So don't let Mr. Villiers stay here, on no account whatsomever." "Why?" asked Ethel, simply; "they can't hurt him." "I am sure, ma'am," said Saunders, his face brightening, "I am very glad to hear that--you know best. They will arrest him for sure, but--" "Arrest him!" "Yes, ma'am, for I've seen the tall one before. There were two of them--bailiffs." Ethel now began to tremble violently; these were strange, cabalistic words to her, the more awful from their mystery. "What am I to do?" she exclaimed; "Mr. Villiers will be here in the morning, he sleeps at Egham, and will be here early; I must go to him directly." "I am glad to hear he is so far," said Saunders; "and if I can be of any use you have but to say it; shall I go to Egham? there are night coaches that go through, and I might warn him." Ethel thought--she feared to do any thing--she imagined that she should be watched, that all her endeavours would be of no avail. She looked at the man, honesty was written on his face; but there was no intelligence, nothing to tell her that his advice was good. The possibility of such an event as the present had never occurred to her. Villiers had been silent with regard to his fears on this head. She was suddenly transported into a strange sea, hemmed in by danger, without a pilot or knowledge of a passage. Again she looked at the man's face: "What is best to be done!" she exclaimed.