"All right," said Jim, promptly. "There's no special use in going to bed to-night, or rather this morning. Too late to pay, so bring on your business. What comes next?"
"They ought to know at Hastings' Hall where this young man is."
"Ho!" said Jim, with an astonished and incredulous air, "I don't imagine there will be many sleepless eyes in that house if they don't hear of his whereabouts until he appears again. I fancy they are too much accustomed to it."
"There is one member of the family who will wait for him, nevertheless."
"Who?"
"His sister. He remembered it himself, as bad as he was."
Jim looked searchingly at the half-averted face of his friend for a moment; then seeming to have come to some conclusion, arose and began to don his overcoat.
"Then if I understand you, Mallery, you think that his sister ought to be apprised of his safety, and you judge it would be well, if possible, to do so without disturbing any other members of the family?" This he said after having waited a moment in vain for his friend to speak again.
Theodore turned toward him, and eagerly grasped his hand as he spoke:
"You understand everything, my dear fellow, better than I can tell it. God bless you for your kindness and thoughtfulness."