The ladies had entered the room a moment before them, and they now heard from the gentlemen, with astonishment, that the Honorable Lester Vane, walking in the garden, had been suddenly attacked and felled to the earth by some unknown assailant. Not the least astounded of the party present was Helen Grahame. The blood rushed from her heart to her brain; she felt as though a thousand bells were ringing in her ears. Then the life-stream swept back to her heart, leaving her as cold as death--and as colourless. Hugh Riversdale and Lester Vane had encountered each other. What had passed? Her first impulse was to dart out of the room--the house, and flee anywhere--anywhere! The next, to remain where she was, face all that might be brought forward to crush her for ever, and to deny every charge firmly, steadfastly; even to deny Hugh Riversdale, if in custody he were brought forward to confront her. Oh! that she could only know what had actually occurred, so that she might be prepared to enact the part it would be best for her to play. Why did Lester Vane refuse to explain what had happened, when he first recovered, in Mr. Grahame’s presence? Why did he defer it until all were assembled in the drawing-room? Did he know that she had had an interview with Hugh Riversdale? This was remarkable, and much disturbed her. Yet if he did know that she had a clandestine meeting with his assailant, he could surely entertain no feeling of animosity towards her--that seemed impossible. The acquaintance of an hour could hardly have raised up in his breast a wish to injure her. Yet why did he pursue the strange course of refusing to relate what had passed, unless he knew she would be present to hear the recital? Her anxious surmises were the suspicions that haunted a guilty mind, for she had no just reason to believe that he would connect her with the mystery at all. She was perplexed, disconcerted, plunged into an agony of mind, as she pursued this train of reasoning. Still she saw the imperious necessity of appearing calm, collected, and full of wonder only, to the extent she would have been had she had no further share in the event than her sister Margaret. By an effort of her will, she knew she could achieve this much, and she resolved to do it. As she formed the resolution, the door opened, and Lester Vane entered. He was pale; there was a slight wound on his forehead, strapped up, but otherwise he was as self-possessed, and had the same cold smile playing upon his lips as when first he entered the sitting-room in the earlier part of the day. A thrill of pain ran through the frame of Helen as she felt his large, dark eye settle upon her. Then a sudden sense of her danger roused her to exertion, and she forced down all outward sign of the conflict going on within her breast.