The Duke looked across to a spot of rising glade, and saw the faggots in a heap.  He then bent his eyes with a bland and puzzled air on the ground, ’What is this strange story you have to tell me that kept you awake?’ he murmured.

’It is this—­and it is really rather serious.  My cousin Fred Ogbourne—­Captain Ogbourne as he is now—­was in his boyhood a great admirer of mine, as I think I have told you, though I was six years his senior.  In strict truth, he was absurdly fond of me.’

‘You have never told me of that before.’

’Then it was your sister I told—­yes, it was.  Well, you know I have not seen him for many years, and naturally I had quite forgotten his admiration of me in old times.  But guess my surprise when the day before yesterday, I received a mysterious note bearing no address, and found on opening it that it came from him.  The contents frightened me out of my wits.  He had returned from Canada to his father’s house, and conjured me by all he could think of to meet him at once.  But I think I can repeat the exact words, though I will show it to you when we get indoors.

“My dear cousin Harriet,” the note said, “After this long absence you will be surprised at my sudden reappearance, and more by what I am going to ask.  But if my life and future are of any concern to you at all, I beg that you will grant my request.  What I require of you, is, dear Harriet, that you meet me about eleven to-night by the Druid stones on Marlbury Downs, about a mile or more from your house.  I cannot say more, except to entreat you to come.  I will explain all when you are there.  The one thing is, I want to see you.  Come alone.  Believe me, I would not ask this if my happiness did not hang upon it—­God knows how entirely!  I am too agitated to say more—­Yours.  Fred.”

’That was all of it.  Now, of course I ought have gone, as it turned out, but that I did not think of then.  I remembered his impetuous temper, and feared that something grievous was impending over his head, while he had not a friend in the world to help him, or any one except myself to whom he would care to make his trouble known.  So I wrapped myself up and went to Marlbury Downs at the time he had named.  Don’t you think I was courageous?’

‘Very.’

‘When I got there—­but shall we not walk on; it is getting cold?’ The Duke, however, did not move.  ’When I got there he came, of course, as a full grown man and officer, and not as the lad that I had known him.  When I saw him I was sorry I had come.  I can hardly tell you how he behaved.  What he wanted I don’t know even now; it seemed to be no more than the mere meeting with me.  He held me by the hand and waist—­O so tight—­and would not let me go till I had promised to meet him again.  His manner was so strange and passionate that I was afraid of him in such a lonely place, and I promised to come.  Then I escaped—­then I ran home—­and that’s all.  When the time drew on this evening for the appointment—­which, of course, I never intended to keep, I felt uneasy, lest when he found I meant to disappoint him he would come on to the house; and that’s why I could not sleep.  But you are so silent!’