“Good-evening, Captain Farnham,” was all she could find to say.  Then, striving desperately to add something more gracious, she stammered, “Mamma will be very——­”

“Glad to see me in the drawing room?” Farnham laughed.  “I have no doubt of it.  She is quite safe there; and your visitors have gone.  Will you join her now?”

She could not help perceiving the slight touch of sarcasm in his tone.  She saw he was hurt by her coldness and shyness, and that made her still more cold and shy.  Without another word she walked before him to the drawing-room, where Mrs. Belding still sat in her rocking-chair, moaning and wringing her hands.  Mr. Temple was standing beside her trying to soothe her, telling her it was all over.  Bolty was tying the arms of one of the ruffians behind him, who lay on the floor on his face.  There was no one else in the room.

Alice knelt on the floor by her mother and took her in her arms.  “You are not hurt, are you, mamma dear?” she said, in a soft, tender tone, as if she were caressing a crying child.

“Oh, no!  I suppose not,” said the widow; “but I am not used to such doings at this time of night, and I don’t like them.  Captain Farnham, how shall I ever thank you? and you, Mr. Temple?  Goodness knows what we should have done without you.  Alice, the moment you left the room, some of them ran to the sideboard for the silver, another one proposed to set the house afire, and that vile creature with the red handkerchief asked me for my ear-rings and my brooch.  I was trying to be as long as I could about getting them off, when these gentlemen came in.  I tell you they looked like angels, and I’ll tell your wife so when I see her, Mr. Temple; and as for Arthur——­”

At this moment Bolty, having finished the last knot to his satisfaction, rose and touched his prisoner with his foot.  “Captain,” he said, saluting Farnham, “vot I shall do mit dis schnide?”

“They have got the one I dropped from the window?”

“Jawohl! on de gravel-walk draussen!”

“Very well.  Take them both to the stable behind my house for the present, and make them fast together.  Then come back here and stand guard awhile with the men on the porch, till I relieve you.”

“All right.  Git up mid yourself,” he said, touching his prostrate foe not so gently, “and vorwaerts.”

As they went out, Farnham turned to Mrs. Belding, and said, “I think you will have no more trouble.  The men I leave as a guard will be quite sufficient, I have no doubt.  I must hurry back and dismiss the friends who have been serenading me.”

She gazed at him, not quite comprehending, and then said, “Well, if you must go, good-night, and thank you a thousand times.  When I have my wits about me I will thank you better.”

Arthur answered laughingly as he shook hands.  “Oh, that is of no consequence.  It was merely neighborly.  You would have done as much for me, I am sure.”  And the gentlemen took their leave.