It now remained only to post the duplicate for the Home Office.  Mr. Eden directed it and waxed it, but even as he leaned over it sealing it the room suddenly became dark to him, and his head seemed to weigh a ton.  With an instinct of self-preservation he made for the sofa, which was close behind him, but before he could reach it his senses had left him, and he fell with his head and shoulders upon the couch but his feet on the floor, the memorial tight in his hand.  He paid the penalty of being a blood-horse—­he ran till he dropped.

CHAPTER XVII.

“Two ladies to see you,” grunted the red-haired servant, throwing open the door without ceremony; and she actually bounced out again without seeing anything more than that her master was lying on the sofa.

Susan Merton and her aunt came rapidly and cheerfully into the room.

“Here we are, Mr. Eden, Aunt Davies and I—­Oh!” The table being between the sofa and the door the poor gentleman’s actual condition was not self-evident from the latter, but Susan was now in the middle of the room and her gayety gave way in a moment to terror.

“Why, the man has fainted!” cried Mrs. Davies hurriedly.  Susan clasped her hands together and turned very pale; but for all that she was the first at Mr. Eden’s head; “he is choking! he is choking! help me, aunt, help me!” but even while crying for help her nimble fingers had untied and flung away Mr. Eden’s white neck-tie, which, being high and stiff, was doing him a very ill turn, as the air forcing itself violently through his nostrils plainly showed.

“Take his legs, aunt; oh! oh! oh!”

“Don’t be a fool, girl, it is only a faint.”  Susan flew to the window and threw it open, then flew back and seized one end of the couch.  Her aunt comprehended at a glance, and the two carried it with its burden to the window.

“Open the door, aunt,” cried Susan, as she whipped out her scent-bottle and with her finger wetted the inside of his nostrils with the spirit as the patient lay in the thorough draught.  Susan sobbed with sorrow and fear, but her emotion was far from disabling her.

She poured some of her scent into a water-glass and diluted it largely.  She made her aunt take a hand-screen from the mantel-piece.  She plunged her hand into the liquid and flung the drops sharply into Mr. Eden’s face; and Mrs. Davies fanned him rapidly at the same time.

These remedies had a speedy effect.  First the film cleared from the patient’s bright eye, then a little color diffused itself gradually over his cheek, and last his lips lost their livid tint.  As soon as she saw him coming to, Susan composed herself; and Mr. Eden, on his return to consciousness, looked up and saw a beautiful young woman looking down on him with a cheerful, encouraging smile and wet cheeks.

“Ah!” sighed he, and put out his hand faintly to welcome Susan; “but what—­how do I come here?”