Immediately a very frightened and plain little girl stepped into view. It was Leucha Villiers. All things possible had been tried to win her stubborn heart, but it was melted at last. It was she—she felt it was she—who had been the means of destroying Hollyhock.
'What ails you, girl?' asked the Duke. 'I'm Ardshiel, and I am in a hurry. What makes you weep such bitter tears?'
He looked her up and down with some contempt.
'Oh, your Grace, it was really my fault. I 'm sure it was.'
'What—what?' said the Duke. 'Speak out, lass.'
'I've always been unkind to Hollyhock, although she was so good to me—oh! so good; but I—I was jealous of her; and now she is going to be taken away, and last evening she came to my room and asked me for one kiss, and I refused—I refused. Oh! my heart is broken. Oh! I am a bad girl. There never was Hollyhock's like in the school.'
'Keep your broken heart, lass,' said the Duke. 'I cannot waste time with you now. I'm off for the doctors.'
Leucha crawled back toward the house, and the Duke went immediately to his own stately palace and telephoned to the cleverest medical men he knew: 'Come at once to Constable's, a place they call The Paddock or the Annex. There's a lass there like to die. She's a near relative of mine, and I 'll save her if it costs me half of my fortune.'
A couple of famous specialists accepted the Duke's command; and, having so far relieved his soul, he went to Mrs Constable and begged to be allowed to remain at The Paddock until the arrival of the physicians.
During this long time of waiting he had an interview with Jasper, who gave him a vivid and most modest account of what had occurred the night before.