"Halt!" roared Sir Matthew; but the fugitive paid no heed, and in response to rapid orders four carbines were raised, there was a ringing little volley, and, to Linnell's horror, Fred Denville made a bound, and fell upon his face. "Oh, this is too bad, sir!" roared Mellersh fiercely. "Mind your own affairs, sir," said Sir Matthew sharply. "Saved him from being shot after a court-martial." In a few minutes the wounded man was borne in and laid in the hall, where Cora Dean was one of the first to fetch restoratives, while her mother brought a pillow and placed beneath his head, for a couple of the dragoons had been sent to fetch the means to transport him to the barracks. It seemed at first that the one bullet which had struck him had been aimed too truly; but after a few minutes the poor fellow opened his eyes, looked wildly round, and then recognised Linnell. "Ah!" he ejaculated, "you! Look here. I was on the way--to give myself up--civil authorities--my father--in prison--innocent--Lady Teigne-- murder--in a fit of drunkenness--I climbed up--to get the diamonds--save the poor old man--I--I--did the deed." Volume Three, Chapter XVIII. MORTON DENVILLE BECOMES A MAN. "You here, Morton?" "Yes. Don't look at me like that, Claire, pray don't. You can't think what I've suffered." "What you've suffered?" said Claire coldly, as she recalled how she had taken a mother's place to this boy for so many years till he had obtained his advancement in life, when he had turned from her. He had made some amends on the night of Mrs Pontardent's party; but after that he had heard some whispered scandal, and had kept aloof more and more till the great trouble had fallen, and their father had been arrested, when he had stayed away and made no sign. It had seemed so hard. When a few words on paper would have been so consolatory and have helped Claire in her agony and distress, Morton had not even written; and now he came to her at last to tell her she did not know what he had suffered. "You don't know," he continued, with the tears in his eyes. "It was bad enough to be in the regiment with Payne and Bray, always ready to chaff me and begin imitating the old man, and that beast Rockley sneering at me; but when people began to talk as they did about you, Clairy--" "Silence!" cried Claire, flashing up as she rose from her seat, and darted an indignant glance at the boy. "If you have come only to insult your sister--go." "Don't talk like that, Clairy dear," cried the boy. "Don't be so hard upon a fellow. I suffered horribly, for they did talk about you shamefully, and I was very nearly calling Sir Harry out, only the Colonel wouldn't let me fight. I'm sure I behaved well enough. Every one said I did." "Why have you come this morning?" said Claire coldly.