“Well, it beats me,” he said. “I know pretty well what these two men are; but if your Grace don’t charge ’em, what can I do?”
“Nothing, I should suppose,” said the Duke blandly. And, with a slight bow, he proceeded on his way, the young lady accompanying him. Looking back once, he perceived the young man and the driver of the brougham going off in another direction with quick furtive steps, while the Inspector and the policeman stood talking together outside the door of the house.
“The circumstances, as a whole, no doubt appear peculiar to the Inspector,” observed the Duke, with a smile.
“Do you think that we can find a hansom cab?” asked the young lady a little anxiously. “You see, my aunt——”
“Precisely,” said the Duke, and he quickened his pace.
They soon reached the boundary of the Heath, and, having walked a little way along the road, were so fortunate as to find a cab. The young lady held out her left hand to the Duke: in her right she still grasped firmly the Queen Bess flagon.
“Good-bye,” she said. “Thank you for the beautiful present.”
The Duke took her hand and allowed his glance to rest for a moment on her face. She appeared to see a question in his eyes.
“Yes, and for rescuing me from that man,” she added with a little shudder.
The Duke’s glance still rested on her face.