"Bring him upstairs."
It was in fact a man who knew Lord Coombe well enough to be aware that he need make no delay.
"It was one of the worst, my lord," he said in answer to Coombe's first question. "We've had hard work—and the hardest of it was to hold things—people—back." He looked hag-ridden as he went on without any preparation. He was too tired for prefaces.
"There was a lady who went out of here last night. She was with a gentleman. They were running to a friend's house to see things from the roof. They didn't get there. The gentleman is in the hospital delirious to-day. He doesn't know what happened. It's supposed something frightened her and she lost her wits and ran away. The gentleman tried to follow her but the lights were out and he couldn't find her in the dark streets. The running about and all the noises and crashes sent him rather wild perhaps. Trying to find a frightened woman in the midst of all that—and not finding her—"
"What ghastly—damnable thing has happened?" Coombe asked with stiff lips.
"It's both," the man said, "—it's both."
He produced a package and opened it. There was a torn and stained piece of spangled violet gauze folded in it and on top was a little cardboard box which he opened also to show a ring with a big amethyst in it set with pearls.
"Good God!" Coombe ejaculated, getting up from his chair hastily, "Oh! Good God!"
"You know them?" the man asked.