park. There's no direct road; the brook is between us."

"All the same, he's coming in a straight line," said Germaine.

It was true. The horseman had left the road and was galloping across
the meadows straight for the brook. In twenty seconds he reached its
treacherous bank, and as he set his horse at it, Sonia covered her
eyes.

"He's over!" said Germaine. "My father gave three hundred guineas
for that horse."




CHAPTER III

LUPIN'S WAY


Sonia, in a sudden revulsion of feeling, in a reaction from her
fears, slipped back and sat down at the tea-table, panting quickly,
struggling to keep back the tears of relief. She did not see the
Duke gallop up the slope, dismount, and hand over his horse to the
groom who came running to him. There was still a mist in her eyes to
blur his figure as he came through the window.

"If it's for me, plenty of tea, very little cream, and three lumps
of sugar," he cried in a gay, ringing voice, and pulled out his
watch. "Five to the minute--that's all right." And he bent down,