“You’ve got pluck, Brice!” he cried admiringly.  “You’re ashamed to give up and go to bed.  But you’re going just the same.  You’re going to get a good night’s rest.  I don’t intend to have you fall sick. from that tap I gave you with the wrench.  Come on!  I’ll bring you some fresh dressings for your head by the time you’re undressed.”

As he talked he passed one huge arm around Gavin and carried, rather than led, him to the stairway.

“Good night, Mr. Brice,” called Claire from near the doorway.  “I do hope your head will be ever so much better in the morning.  If you want anything in the night. there’s a call-bell I’ve put beside your bed.”

Once more a dizzy weakness seemed to have overcome Gavin.  For after a single attempt at resistance. he swayed and hung heavy on Standish’s supporting arm.  He made shift to mumble a dazed good night to Claire.  Then he suffered Milo to support him up the stairs and along the wide upper hall to the open doorway of a bedroom.

Even at the threshold he seemed too uncertain of his footing to cross the soft-lit room alone.  And Milo supported him to the bed.  Gavin slumped heavily upon the side of it, his aching head in his hands.  Then, as if with much effort, he lay down, burying his face in the pillow.

Milo had been watching him with growing impatience to be gone.  Now he said cheerily: 

“That’s all right, old chap!  Lie still for a while.  I’ll be up in a few minutes to help you undress.”

Standish was hurrying from the room and closing the door behind him. even as he spoke.  With the last word the door shut and Gavin could hear the big man’s footsteps hastening along the upper hall toward the stair-head.

Brice gave him a bare thirty seconds’ start.  Then, rising with strange energy for so dazed and broken an invalid, he left the room and followed him toward the head of the stairs.  His light footfall was soundless on the matting as he went.

He reached the top of the stairs just as Milo arrived at the bottom.  Claire was standing in the veranda doorway shading her eyes and peering out into the darkness.  But at sound of her brother’s advancing tread she turned and ran back to him, meeting him as he reached the bottom of the stair and clasping both hands anxiously about his big forearm.

She seemed about to break out in excited. even frightened speech, when chancing to raise her eyes. she saw Gavin Brice calmly descending from the hall above.  At sight of him her eyes dilated.  Milo had begun to speak.  She put one hand warningly across her brother’s bearded mouth.  At the same moment Gavin, halting midway on the stairs, said with deprecatory meekness: 

“You didn’t tell me what time to be ready for breakfast.  I’d hate to be late and—­”

He got no further.  Nor did he seek to.  His ears had been straining to make certain of the ever approaching sound of footsteps across the lawn.  Now an impatient tread echoed on the veranda, and a man’s figure blocked the doorway.