Lord Ronald said nothing; he flung himself from the room,
flung himself upon his horse and rode madly off in all
directions.

As the door of the library closed upon Ronald the Earl sank
into a chair. His face changed. It was no longer that of
the haughty nobleman, but of the hunted criminal. "He must
marry the girl," he muttered. "Soon she will know all.
Tutchemoff has escaped from Siberia. He knows and will tell.
The whole of the mines pass to her, this property with it,
and I--but enough." He rose, walked to the sideboard,
drained a dipper full of gin and bitters, and became again
a high-bred English gentleman.

It was at this moment that a high dogcart, driven by a groom
in the livery of Earl Nosh, might have been seen entering the
avenue of Nosham Taws. Beside him sat a young girl, scarce
more than a child, in fact not nearly so big as the groom.

The apple-pie hat which she wore, surmounted with black
willow plumes, concealed from view a face so face-like in
its appearance as to be positively facial.

It was--need we say it--Gertrude the Governess, who was
this day to enter upon her duties at Nosham Taws.

At the same time that the dogcart entered the avenue at one
end there might have been seen riding down it from the other
a tall young man, whose long, aristocratic face proclaimed