Playing with her neck-chain, tossing it hither and thither, she at length saw Robert Hunter come strolling home from the village, his air listless, his steps slow; just like a man who is finding time heavy on his hands. "And not one of them to be with him!" came her passionate thought. "It _is_ a shame. Bears! Why! who's _this?_" The exclamation--cutting short the complimentary epithet on her brothers, though it could not apply with any sort of justice to Cyril, who had been prevented by his father from following Robert Hunter--related to a Jutpoint fly and pair. Driving in at the gates, it directly faced Mary Anne Thornycroft; she bent her eyes to peer into it, and started with surprise. "Good gracious! What can bring _her_ here?" For she recognised Lady Ellis; with a maid beside her. And yet, in that pale, haggard, worn woman, who seemed scarcely able to sit upright, there was not much trace of the imperious face of her who had made for so brief a period the Red Court her home. Illness--long-continued illness, its termination of necessity fatal--changes both the looks and the spirit. The chaise had passed Robert Hunter at right angles: had my lady recognised him? But a moment must be given to Cyril. On descending the stairs, he saw Richard striding out at the front door, and hastened after him. "Where are you going, Richard?" "Where am I going?" retorted Richard. "To Tomlett's, if you must know. Something must be done." Cyril laid his calm hand on his brother's restless one, and led him off towards the plateau. "Do nothing, Richard. You are hasty and incautious. They cannot make any discovery." "And that fellow talking of going to sound the rocks, with his boasted engineering experience?" "Let him go. If the square sounds as hollow as his head, what then? They can make nothing else of it. No discovery can be made from the outside; you know it _can not_; and care must be taken that they don't get in." "Perhaps you would not care if they did," spoke Richard in his unjust passion. "You know better," said Cyril, sadly. "However I may have wished that certain circumstances did not exist, I would so far act with you now as to ward off discovery. I would give my life, Richard, to avert pain from you all, and disgrace from the Red Court's good name. Believe me, nothing bad will come of this, if you are only cautious. But your temper is enough to ruin all--to set Hunter's suspicions on you. You should have treated it derisively, jokingly, as I did." Richard, never brooking interference, despising all advice, flung Cyril's arm aside, and turned off swearing, meeting Isaac, who was coming round by the plateau. "Isaac, we are dropped upon." "What?" "We are dropped upon, I say." "How? Who has done it?"