For a moment Lord Ravenscourt did not reply. Tears seemed to be glistening in his eyes when he said very gently,—
"Do not be afraid, my boy. Neither you nor your sister shall go to prison. But it is not in my power to give your message to Lady Millicent. She is in heaven. She passed away last evening."
"Last evening! And it was at that time that Prin had believed that she had a visit from Lady Millicent!" Bert marvelled; but he could not speak of that which was in his mind.
There was a silence which appeared long to all three, though it lasted only a few moments. Then Lord Ravenscourt said, speaking with an effort: "You may assure your sister of Lady Millicent's forgiveness. She loved her to the last, although she made such a base return for her love. It was the discovery of that which hastened my daughter's end. But we will not speak of it. Lady Millicent asked me to tell your sister that she forgave her and hoped to meet her in heaven. A week ago my daughter made her little will. She wanted to leave your sister the diamond brooch, because she knew how much she admired it; but I persuaded her that it would not be a suitable bequest, and a sum of money was substituted, to be spent on the girl's education."
Lord Ravenscourt paused abruptly. He became aware that he was speaking to a larger audience than he had imagined. Children were swarming on the pavement and hanging over the railings of the area. Women stood in the doorway above his head; others leaned out of the windows of the house. From every possible point of view, persons of more or less doubtful respectability were watching the strange gentleman, and straining their ears to hear what he was saying.
"I must go," said Lord Ravenscourt to the doctor. "You will let me know as soon as it is safe to move your patient. We must take her down to the country again. And the boy too. We must see what we can do for him."
Then he hurried up the steps, the crowd scattering to right and left at his approach, sprang into his hansom, and drove away.
"You may consider your fortune made, young man," said the doctor gleefully, as he and Bert went back into the room. Lord Ravenscourt's coming was to prove a good thing for him also, but that he could not foresee.
His foresight concerning the children proved true. Lord Ravenscourt was a good friend to them for his daughter's sake. Bert never knew again what it was to be lonely and ragged and hungry.
Prin's repentance was genuine. As she regained health and strength, her life was lived on a higher level. Her feet were on the ladder the top of which reaches to heaven, and she was seeking to follow in the steps of Lady Millicent, who had followed Christ.