"Then one day when I felt very depressed and ill and on the point of yielding, I heard your old call, and I answered it, and I knew that you had in some way got on my track. And Lord Elgert found that out also, for yesterday he came to take me away to another hiding-place, and I refused to go. We struggled, and again your call came, and that made him desperate. The rest of the story you know, my dear boy. And now you must tell me how you managed to get on my track." So Ralph told his story, and then Mr. Charlton explained how he had, whilst hiding in the old ruin, become convinced that Lord Elgert held some one prisoner in that strange house, and on the very day when Ralph had gone to take his chum's message, he had stolen out to watch. Mr. Charlton had seen Ralph go in, and had watched until both Lord Elgert and his man came out; then, perplexed and fearing foul play, he had stood there until the flames burst out, and that sight had dispelled his fear of the dogs and sent him to the rescue. And then, when the police had arrived and had taken their prisoner again, Mr. St. Clive had come after him, not only with that diary, but with the man who had written it, and who confessed that he had committed the offence at the instigation of Lord Elgert, who had a spite against Mr. Charlton. The innocent man was soon set free after that, and was able to rejoin his wife and his son openly and without any fear. But Lord Elgert? Ah, that was the one thing that made Mr. Rexworth sad. He would have forgiven his cousin if he could, much as he had suffered at his hands, but the law would not allow that. Lord Elgert had been arrested, and the miserable Horace, together with his partner in disgrace, Dobson, had run away, and no one knew where they were. But they were found, for Mr. Dobson set a detective on their track, and they were brought back, a pair of sorry-looking objects, dirty and ragged. Mr. Dobson immediately apprenticed his son to a firm of shipowners, and sent him off to sea; and Mr. Rexworth, seeing that Horace had no friend, did the same for his nephew, hoping that in his new life he would become a true and good man. Ralph would have been friendly to Horace at their parting, but the proud boy would not accept his friendship. Later on they heard that he had deserted his ship when it got to Australia, and after that they heard no more of him. And so punishment overtook those who had done evil, and patience and truth reaped their reward at last, as they ever must in the end; and Ralph Rexworth was the Hon. Ralph Rexworth Stephen amongst his schoolfellows, for Mr. Rexworth thought that it would do him no harm to stay at the good doctor's school for a little while before he went to college.