"Am I?" said Jack, gravely and curtly. "It will do me good. Don't you be alarmed, miss. I am used to being upset, and my bones are too hard to break. Good-night." And he made for the pavement pretty steadily. But a hand, soft and warm, and strong also, stayed him. "Stop," said Lady Bell; "I am sure you are hurt. How did you come to be run over?" "Got in the way of the horse, I suppose," said Jack, quietly. "That is the usual way." "But--but," said Lady Bell; and she looked at the handsome face scrutinizingly. Then she stopped, for her scrutiny had discovered two facts; first, that the individual who had been run over was a gentleman; secondly, that he had been drinking. "Wait," she said, still keeping her hand on his arm; "you are not fit to go alone without some assistance, and I am sure you are hurt. Look, you are bleeding." "A mere nothing," said Jack; "don't trouble. Allow me to put you in--I shall get home all right." Lady Bell, still keeping her eyes fixed on his face, shook her head. "I couldn't leave you like this," she said. "Where do you live?" "Where do I--live?" repeated Jack. "Spider Court, Temple. It's no distance from here." "The Temple!" exclaimed Lady Bell. "It must be miles away." "A hansom," smiled Jack. "But there are no cabs here, not one. I cannot leave you like this--you must get into the brougham." "Not for worlds! I have given you quite enough trouble," he said. "I shall find my way home somehow." "No," she said; "I cannot let you go without seeing you safe into a cab. There are none here. You do not know--I do not know--how much you are hurt. You must let me take you to your home." "I assure you I am all right," he said. "And I refuse to accept your assurance," said Lady Bell, with a little shudder at the streak of blood which oozed from his forehead. "Come, you will not refuse to obey a lady. I wish you to enter my brougham." "No, I can't refuse to obey a lady," he said. "Then come with me," said Lady Bell. "Where to, my lady?" asked Jackson, who was used to her ladyship's willfulness, and sat, patient as Job, waiting for the issue of this strange adventure. "To--where did you say?" asked Lady Bell. "Spider Court," said Jack; "but I wish you'd let me go out and walk. It must be right out of your way." "Spider Court, Temple," said Lady Bell, and the brougham rolled on. Through it all Mrs. Fellowes had remained in the deep sleep which the gods vouchsafe to good women of her age, and the two--Lady Bell and Jack--were, to all intents and purposes, alone. Lady Bell looked at him as he sat in his corner, the thin, red stream trickling down from his forehead, and shuddered; not at him, but at the blood. "How did you come to be run over?" she asked. "Did you fall?" "Must have done," he said, coolly; "anyway I'll swear it wasn't the coachman's fault." "I am not going to blame the coachman," said Lady Bell, with the shadow of a smile.