The man hesitated a little. "I--I beg pardon, my lord, but I think Miss Driver meant to go by train. She asked me to drive quickly--and she'd just have managed the eight-fifteen." I looked at my watch, it was just on half-past eight. "Perhaps she only wanted to see--somebody--off," said Fillingford, soon recovered from his momentary lapse into a betrayal of surprise. He turned to me. "That'll be it, Mr. Austin." I looked at his face--there was no telling anything from it. It had given no sign of change as he made his reference to Octon. I think that he must have seen something in mine, for he added in a low voice, "Very likely that's all." He seemed to urge this view upon me. Well, it was not an unlikely view. She had risked much for a last talk with Octon. She might well be tempted to seek another, a final, farewell. But I was very uneasy. Without more words, merely with a polite lift of his hat, Fillingford got into his carriage and was driven off toward the Manor. I turned and walked slowly back to the house. Lacey came out from the shrubbery on the left of the path. "Well?" he said. "I want your help inside," I said. He asked no questions. We went in together and set to work with Powers. With the help of brandy and a shaking we got him on his feet. Soon he was well enough to be led home. His wife was in by now and opened the door for us. I told her that he had had a kind of seizure, but was much better--there was no need of a doctor. I sent her to get his bed ready. Then I had a word with him. "Can you understand business?" I asked. "Yes--I feel queer, though." "Hold your tongue and you shall be well paid. Talk, and you won't get a farthing. Do you understand that?" "Yes, Mr. Austin." "Very well, act on it for to-night--and I'll come and see you to-morrow." I left his wife getting him to bed. I do not think that the story of the seizure imposed on her, but she pretended to accept it. Probably she was accustomed to his having accidents--the risks of the trade he practiced were considerable. Meanwhile Lacey had been over to the Ford again, and left a written message on the table, saying that Octon had been called to town and would not be back that night. All else could wait till to-morrow. Now I wanted to get back to Breysgate. Lacey, too, was for home, which he could reach quicker by the public road than by coming round through our park. He had put to me no question at all up to now. Just as we were parting he did ask two. "We didn't bring it off, I gather?" I shook my head. Most certainly we had not brought it off. "How did the--the governor behave?" One speech of "the governor's" had been perhaps a little bitter. That was his right; and the bitterness was in the high manner--as Jenny herself had felt. "He behaved--perfectly." That description was--from our side--only his due.