Mark's "hark" was spoken in echo to a thundering knock at the door. A knock and a ring enough to shake the house down. He looked round at the walls for a moment as if he wanted to make a dash into them; he stepped towards the window, hesitated, and drew away again; finally he opened the door to escape, but too late, for voices were already in the hall. Caroline looked at her husband in wondering dismay. "Mark, what has come to you?" "Hush!" whispered Mark, the perspiration welling up to his forehead, as he bent his head to catch the sound from those voices. "Hark! hush!" "Is Mr. Cray at home?" "No, sir. He went to the City early this morning." How Mark Cray blessed his servant for the unconscious mistake, he alone could tell. The man had not seen his master come in, and had no idea he was in the house. "Gone to the City, is he? Are you sure?" "Quite sure, sir." A pause. Mark's heart was beating. "What time will he be home?" "I don't know, sir." Another pause. "I suppose Mr. Barker's not here?" "Mr. Barker? O dear no, sir." And that was followed by the closing of the hall-door. Mark Cray gave a great gasp of relief, and went upstairs to his own room. He did not stay there above a minute. Caroline--she remembered it afterwards--heard a drawer or two opened and shut. She had been following him, but was momentarily detained by a question from her maid, who was coming out of the breakfast-room with the dress upon her arm. Caroline stopped while she answered it, and in going up the stairs she met Mark coming down. "Who was that at the door, Mark? Did you think it was any one in particular?" "I don't know who it was." "You seemed alarmed. Or annoyed." "Well," returned Mark, speaking rather fast, "and it is annoying to have business fellows corning after me to my house. Why can't they go to the offices?" "To be sure," said Caroline, reassured. "I'd not see a soul here, if I were you." He had been walking on towards the hall-door while he spoke. But ere he had well reached it, he turned, and drew his wife into one of the rooms. "Look here, Caroline: I'm not sure but I shall have to go down to the mines tonight. If so, it is just possible I may not be able to come here first. So you won't be alarmed if you don't see me home." "What a hurry you must be in!" exclaimed Caroline. "Not come home first!" "But if I do go, mind, it will be on a little private matter that I don't want known," he continued, taking no notice of the remark. "So, if anybody should ask where I am, just answer that you can't tell, but that I shall be back in a day or two. Do you understand, Carine?" "Quite well. But, Mark, you will come home first, won't you?" "I only tell you this in case I don't come," he answered evasively. "I have a good deal to do today. Goodbye, Carine." "But about Hendon?" she interrupted.