Felix was silent. He looked at his opponent with unwilling admiration; the man after all, then, was great. For the moment he could think of nothing whatever to say. "Now, listen to me," Mr. Sabin continued earnestly. "I made a great mistake when I ever mentioned the matter to Prince Lobenski. I cannot treat with him, but on the other hand, I do not want to be hampered by his importunities for the next few days. You have done your duty, and you have done it well. It is not your fault that you cannot succeed. Leave the train at the next station--disappear for a week, and I will give you a fortune. You are young--the world is before you. You can seek distinction in whatever way you will. I have a cheque-book in my pocket, and a fountain pen. I will give you an order on the Crédit Lyonnaise for £20,000." Felix laughed softly; his face was full of admiration. He looked at his watch, and began to gather together his belongings. "Write out the cheque," he said; "I agree. We shall be at the junction in about ten minutes." CHAPTER XXXVI THE MODERN RICHELIEU "So I have found you at last!" Mr. Sabin looked up with a distinct start from the table where he sat writing. When he saw who his visitor was, he set down his pen and rose to receive her at once. He permitted himself to indulge in a little gesture of relief; her noiseless entrance had filled him with a sudden fear. "My dear Helène," he said, placing a chair for her, "if I had had the least idea that you wished to see me, I would have let you know my whereabouts. I am sorry that you should have had any difficulty; you should have written." She shrugged her shoulders slightly. "What does it all mean?" she asked. "Why are you masquerading in cheap lodgings, and why do they say at Kensington that you have gone abroad? Have things gone wrong?" He turned and faced her directly. She saw then that pale and haggard though he was, his was not the countenance of a man tasting the bitterness of failure. "Very much the contrary," he said; "we are on the brink of success. All that remains to be done is the fitting together of my American work with the last of these papers. It will take me about another twenty-four hours." She handed across to him a morning newspaper, which she had been carrying in her muff. A certain paragraph was marked. "We regret to state that Admiral, the Earl of Deringham, was seized yesterday morning with a fit, whilst alone in his study. Dr. Bond, of Harley Street, was summoned at once to a consultation, but we understand that the case is a critical one, and the gravest fears are entertained. Lord Deringham was the greatest living authority upon the subject of our fleet and coast defences, and we are informed that at the time of his seizure he was completing a very important work in connection with this subject." Mr. Sabin read the paragraph slowly, and then handed the paper back to Helène.