"Poor Van Heldre! First the ship, then this terrible calamity. Crampton tells me that there was a sum of money deposited in the safe-- five hundred pounds in notes, and all gone--every penny--all gone. Poor old Crampton! he almost worshipped Van Heldre. He is nearly wild with grief. One minute he scowled at me savagely; the next minute he was apologetic. It's a terrible business, children. I thought you had better both come on, for, of course, I could not leave now." Just then Mrs Van Heldre came down, looking red-eyed and pale, to take Louise to her breast. "Thank you, my dear, thank you," she sobbed; "it was like you to come. And you too, Harry Vine." She took and pressed the young man's hand, which was dank and cold. Then, in a quick access of gratitude, she laid her hands upon his shoulders, and kissed him. "Thank you, my dear," she said in a voice broken with sobs. "You seem always to have been like Maddy's brother. I might have known that you would come." If ever man suffered agony, that man was Harry Vine as he listened to the poor simple-hearted woman's thanks. His punishment had commenced, and every time the door opened he gave a guilty start, and turned white as ash. "Don't take it like that, Harry," said Louise tenderly. "There is always hope, dear." She looked lovingly in his eyes, and pressed his hand, as their father went on talking in a low voice, and giving utterance to his thoughts. "The scoundrels, as far as I can make out, Harry, my boy, seem to have got in by the back. The door was unfastened, and they must have known a good deal about the place--by watching I suppose, for they knew where to find the keys, and how to open the safe." Harry's breath came in a spasmodic way, as he sat there chained, as it were, to his place. "Five hundred pounds. A very heavy sum. I must not blame him, poor fellow, but I should have thought it a mistake to have so large a sum in the house." At last the doctor descended looking very grave. "Ah, Knatchbull," said Vine in an excited whisper as he rose and caught the doctor's hand; "how is he?" The doctor shook his head. "Has he recovered his senses?" "_No_." "Nor said a word about who his assailants were?" "No, sir, nor is he likely to for some time to come." Harry Vine sat with his eyes closed, not daring to look; and, as the doctor's words came, a terrible weight of dread seemed to be lifted from his brain. "I may go up now, may I not?" "No, sir, certainly not," said the doctor. "But we are such old friends; we were boys together, Knatchbull." "If you were twin-brothers, sir, I should say the same. Why, do you know, sir, I've forbidden Mrs Van Heldre to go into the room. She could not control her feelings, and absolute silence is indispensable." "Then he is alone?"