After him came Madame Marie before he could descend the stairs. She gripped him by the arm earnestly, and looked into his face. Prelice could hear the captain and Horace quarrelling desperately in the room he had left, but waited patiently until the woman spoke. "Swear to me," panted Madame Marie, "that Jadby will never, never marry that girl, and I will help you." "In what way?" "For one thing, I shall stop Felix from denouncing your uncle." "Pooh! That's bluff!" "Indeed, indeed it isn't," said the woman passionately. "What I have told you is perfectly true. Your uncle will be in great danger if Felix speaks. But swear to save him from that girl, and I shall stop all trouble about Mr. Haken." "I swear," said Prelice quietly; "especially as it is the dearest wish of my life to make Miss Chent my wife." "Beware--oh, be careful!" implored Madame Marie, clinging to Prelice. "I know that Felix is desperate; he is dangerous." "I am not afraid of him. He cannot hurt me." "But he may hurt her," cried Madame Marie. "If anything goes wrong, come to me. I can help you." "I shall do so; but why do you work against the man you love?" "Because I can secure him in no other way. I want him to leave England to marry me. While he stops here, and is infatuated with Miss Chent, there is no hope. Hark! Felix is calling. Remember, we are outwardly enemies, but inwardly friends. You promise." On this she produced a small golden crucifix. Considering the exigencies of the case, Prelice was willing to promise anything, even to a doubtfully good woman, such as Madame Marie appeared to be. But the production of the crucifix took him aback. "I give you my word," he said, stiffly. "I want your oath," she retorted. "Swear on this, to aid me to marry Felix, or I do nothing." There was no help for it, and Prelice had to make allowance for Madame Marie's flamboyant, foreign way of exaggeration. "I swear to help you," he said, and kissed the crucifix. CHAPTER XXII. THE UNEXPECTED. "Don't talk nonsense to me," cried Lady Sophia, rapping the dinner-table with her lorgnette. "The idea is too ridiculous for words. To marry a girl out of gaol? Monstrous! Your father would turn in his grave, and _he_ wasn't very particular."