“I know!  And I thank you very much, Uncle Fabian,” replied Corona.

“Ah, Violet! here you are, just in time to take my place.  I am going out to send for Clarence to spend the evening with us,” said Mr. Fabian, as he passed his young wife, who entered the room as he left it.

Instead of sending a messenger, Fabian put his fastest horse into his lightest wagon, and set off at his best speed himself.  He reached North End Hotel in twenty minutes, and burst in upon Clarence, finding that gentleman seated in an arm chair before a coal fire.

“Anything the matter, Fabian?” he inquired, looking up in surprise.

“Yes!  The devil’s to pay!  The monarch has driven his granddaughter from court!” exclaimed the elder brother, throwing his hat upon the floor, and dropping into a chair.

“You don’t mean to say—­”

“Yes, I do!  Father has turned Cora out of doors because she refused to marry the Englishman.”

“Good Heaven!”

“Come!  There is no time to talk!  Cora is at my house.  She leaves for Washington to join Captain and Mrs. Neville, and go out with them to Fort Farthermost.”

“But, look here, Fabian.  Why do you let her do that?”

“Don’t be a fool!  Who is to stop her if she is bound to go?  Come, hurry up; put on your overcoat and get into my trap, and I will take you back with me, see Cora, and stay all night with us.”

Mr. Clarence started up, rang for a waiter to see to his rooms, then put on his overcoat, and in five minutes more he was seated beside his brother in the light wagon, behind the fastest horse in Mr. Fabian’s stables, bowling out of the village at a rate of speed that I would not dare to state.  It was not nine o’clock when they reached Violet Banks.

Mr. Fabian drove around to the stables, gave his team up to the groom, and walked back to the house with Clarence.

“You must not drop a word to Violet about Cora’s intended journey.  She thinks that Cora has only come to spend the night with her.  If she knew otherwise she would be too distressed to sleep.  Not until after breakfast to-morrow is she to be told that Cora is going away; and never is she to know that our niece has been driven away.”

“I understand, Fabian.  Who is going to Washington with Cora?”

“No one that I know of; but she is quite able to take care of herself, so far.”

“I will not have it so, Fabian.  I will go with our niece!” said Mr. Clarence.

“Are you mad?  The monarch would never forgive such misprision of treason.  He would discard you, Clarence!” exclaimed Mr. Fabian, in consternation.

“I do not think so.  Our father is too just for that.  And in any case I shall take the risk.”

“The Iron King is just in all his business relations; he would not be otherwise to save himself from bankruptcy.  But has he been just to Cora?”

“From his point of view.  He has not been kind; that is all.  I must be kind to our niece at all costs.”