She covers her face with her hands, and tears fall through her fingers.

Neilson, as if distracted by this sad sight, lays his arm gently round her shoulder, and draws her to him.

“Margaret, my darling girl, don’t cry about it, whatever you do,” entreats he frantically.  “Margaret, don’t break my heart!”

Miss Knollys’ tears cease as suddenly as though an electric battery has been directed at her.

“Nonsense!  Don’t be foolish!  And at my age too!” says she indignantly.

She pushes him from her.

CHAPTER VII.

HOW TITA IS “CAUGHT,” BUT BY ONE WHOM SHE DID NOT EXPECT; AND HOW SHE PLAYED WITH FIRE FOR A LITTLE BIT; AND HOW FINALLY SHE RAN AWAY.

Rylton, striding upstairs, makes straight for the picture-gallery.  It strikes him as he passes along the corridor that leads to it that a most unearthly silence reigns elsewhere, and yet a sort of silence that with difficulty holds back the sound behind it.  A strange feeling that every dark corner contains some hidden thing that could at a second’s notice spring out upon him oppresses him, and, indeed, such a feeling is not altogether without justification.  Many eyes look out at him at these corners as he goes by, and once the deadly silence is broken by a titter, evidently forcibly suppressed!  Rylton takes no notice, however.  His wrath is still so warm that he thinks of nothing but the picture-gallery, and that screen at the end of it—­where she, his wife, is——­

Now, there is a screen just inside the entrance to this gallery, and behind it are Minnie Hescott and Mr. Gower.  Randal’s eyes are sharp, but Minnie’s even sharper.  They both note, not only Maurice’s abrupt entrance, but the expression on his face.

“Do something—­quickly,” says Minnie, giving Randal a little energetic push that all but overturns the screen.

“Anything!  To half my kingdom; but what?” demands Mr. Gower, in a whisper very low, as befits the occasion.

“Tita is down there with Tom,” says Miss Hescott, pointing to the far end of the long, dimly-lit gallery.  “Do you want to see murder done?”

“Not much,” says Gower.  “But—­how am I to prevent it?”

“Don’t you know what you must do?” says she energetically.  “Those idiots downstairs have forsaken us.  Run up the room as quick as you can—­past Sir Maurice—­and pretend you are the one who is hunting. I’ll go for Tom.  If we make a regular bustle, Sir Maurice won’t think so much about our little game as he does now.  Did you see his face?”

“I saw fireworks,” says Mr. Gower.  Then, “I’m off,” says he.

He slips out from behind the screen, and galloping up the room comes to the screen very nearly as soon as Rylton.  Not soon enough, however.  Rylton has turned the corner of it, and found Tita with Tom Hescott crouching behind it, whispering together, and evidently enjoying themselves immensely.