His decision was taken. He lingered only one minute. He held out both his hands to her, and she put hers in them. I looked away; by chance my eyes fell on the mantelpiece. It struck me differently somehow; in an instant it occurred to me that the picture of the beautiful young girl was not there. "There's a fast train to London at 8.15. You can catch that," I said. "And you'd better go abroad to-morrow. I can let you know what happens." "Wire as soon as you can--Grand Hotel to-night--to-morrow, the Continental, Paris. Write to-morrow, and send my portmanteau; I'll take my bag. I shall come back if there's any trouble." "No, no, you mustn't," said Jenny. "Well, we'll see about that presently. Good-by." I watched him go into the hall and take up his bag; then I came back to Jenny. "Now come away," I said, quickly. "You don't want to meet Fillingford, and he may be here any minute. I'll see you safe on the road, then I'll come back to this fellow. We can hush it all up--it's only a matter of enough money." I heard the wheels of a carriage in the road. Jenny held up her hand for silence. We listened a moment. The carriage stopped at the gate of Hatcham Ford. It was Fillingford--Would he meet Octon? I feared that Octon would take no pains to avoid him. In that I was wrong. The situation had sobered him. He had seen where lay the best chance for Jenny, and he would not throw it away. When the carriage drove up, he was just by the gate of Ivydene--Lacey, hidden in the shrubberies, saw him there. He drew back into the shadow of the gate and watched Fillingford get out. Fillingford, intent on Hatcham Ford, never glanced in his direction. When Fillingford had gone in, he resumed his way to the station. When I heard the carriage stop, I cried to Jenny, "He mustn't find you! Run upstairs somewhere--I'll manage to send him away." "What's the good?" she asked. "We've got to have it out; we may as well have it out now." She looked at me haughtily. "I'm not inclined to hide from Lord Fillingford." Powers's hand went up to his throat; he coughed and gurgled again. She looked down at him with a smile. "What's the good of hiding me? You can't hide that!" "I won't let him in at all!" I cried. "What's the good? He'll know I'm here if you do that. It's best to let him in. I'm not afraid to meet him, and I'd rather--know to-night." His knock came on the door. I went and opened it. He started at the sight of me. "You, Mr. Austin? I was looking for Mr. Octon." "He's not here," I answered. "He has just left for London." He seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Then are you alone here?" he asked. Before I had time to think of my answer, Jenny's voice came from the dining-room. "I am here. Bring Lord Fillingford into this room, Austin."