“Then go and wake up Mrs. Hammond, and ask her to come to us quickly here. And don’t, upon any account, disturb Mrs. Lyon,” said the General. Pina left the room, with little Lenny lagging after her. “It is very fortunate the two ladies are asleep, for now we can get Anna here, and talk to her alone; tell her all that we have learned, and warn her how to deal with Drusilla,” said the General. Pina soon returned, with Mrs. Hammond, who in her great anxiety to hear the news came into the drawing-room just as she had risen from her bed, with her white dressing-gown wrapped around her, and her fair hair flowing over her shoulders. “And now?—And now?—What?” she eagerly, breathlessly demanded. “Pina, my good girl, take little Lenny down to the walk,” said the General. And when the nurse had taken the child from the room, he turned to Anna, and said: “We know all that can be known now, my love.” “Good Heavens! they have not met with any fatal result?” she gasped. “No, don’t be alarmed! They have not met! but they have gone off to one of the Channel islands, to carry out their intentions. And Dick and myself are going to follow them with police sufficient to stop the duel by force, if we cannot do it by persuasion.” “When do you leave?” “By the three o’clock train. It is one now, and we should leave the house a little after two; we have not much more than an hour to prepare; so, my dear, I wish you would just order us up a lunch, and then go and see to having a change of underclothing and a few pocket-handkerchiefs put up for Dick and myself.” “Yes;—but now—Drusilla? She is asleep. Of course, you would not wish her disturbed?” said Anna, pausing at the door. “By no means! For every reason, let her sleep until we are off. We must go without bidding her good-by. And we must trust to you, Anna, to make our apologies to her, and also to explain our absence, without telling the cause of our journey.” “A most difficult task, my dear grandpa; but I will undertake it,” said Anna, as she left the room. The General and his nephew also went to their chambers to put themselves in what Dick called traveling rig. When they returned to the drawing-room they found their lunch on the table, and their two portmanteaus on the floor, and Anna presiding over these preparations. “Half past one o’clock! We have scarcely an hour now to get our lunch and reach the train in time. Sit down at once, Dick,” said the General, placing himself at the table. Dick and Anna followed his example. “Where is little Lenny? I would like him to take lunch with us this last time before we go. Where is he, Anna, my dear?” inquired the General. “Dear grandpa, don’t you know you sent him out to walk with Pina?” “Oh! yes! so I did! That was to get rid of the girl while I talked with you,” said the General, in a low tone, then raising his voice, he called to Jacob, who stood waiting at some little distance, and said: