"You--you know?" "Yes, I see it all now; and why this charge has been made. It was Mr Pradelle." "Pradelle!" "And that is why he left so suddenly. Harry, my poor brother!" "Let Pradelle be," he said huskily. "I'm not going to hide behind another man." "Oh! But, Harry!" "Look here," he said uneasily; "I want your help, and you do nothing but talk." "I will be silent; but tell me it is not true." "Do you want me to make matters worse by telling some paltry lie?" he said. "Yes; it is true." "Harry!" "No: not all true. I did not steal that money." "Ah!" ejaculated Louise; and she reeled to her bed, and would have fallen but for the post she grasped. "I've no time to explain, but you must know. Yes; I did knock old Van Heldre down." "Harry!" she groaned. "And Crampton saw me come away; he has sent for the London police; and, unless I can get off, I shall be taken and tried." Louise literally tottered towards him. "No, no," he said angrily. "You are going to talk and preach. You don't want to see me disgracing you all by being cast in gaol?" Disgracing them! Louise's first thought was of Duncan Leslie, and a pang of agony shot through her. How could she ever look him in the face again? A chill that seemed to paralyse shot through her. The hope that she had nursed was cast out, and her brother's word seemed to open out a future so desolate and blank that she turned upon him angrily. "Harry!" she cried, "this is not--cannot be true." He paid no heed to her words, but stood biting his nails, evidently thinking, and at last he turned upon her like one at bay, as she said, after a painful pause, "You do not answer. Am I to believe all this? No, I cannot--will not believe it, Harry. It can't--it can't be true." "Yes," he said, as if waking from a dream. "One of the lads would take me over in his lugger. St Malo; that would do. Louie, what money have you?" "Then it is true?" she said. "True? Yes; it's true enough." "Then you--oh, Harry, for pity's sake--Harry!" She burst into a wild fit of sobbing. "That's right," he cried savagely. "I came to you for help and you go into hysterics. There, unlock that door, and get me something to eat, and while I'm enjoying myself, you can send Liza for the police." "Harry!" "Then why don't you act like a sensible girl? Listen; nobody must know that I have been here; not even the governor. I'm going to steal down to the harbour by and by; and I shall get Joe Lennen or Dick Paul to take me over to France. If I stay here I shall be arrested, and disgrace you all. There never was such an unlucky fellow as I am. Here, once more, what money have you?" "Very little, Harry," she said; "about three sovereigns." "Has aunt any? No; she must not know that I'm here. Louie, you must let me have your watch." "Yes, Harry," she said, as she stood before him, cold and striving hard to master her emotion as a mute feeling of despair attacked her. "And you'll help me, won't you?"