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“Whereishenow？“enquiredRupert。
“Oh，Ifancyaboutthere，somewhere，“repliedVic，rememberingthathehadseenMcNishmovingtowardthedoor。“Bettergoandlookhimupandgetmoreparticulars。Mighthelpsome，youknow。“
“Oh，Adrien，letusgotoher，“saidPatricia。“IamsureAnnettewouldlovetohaveyou。PoorAnnette！“
“Oh！Isay！“interposedVichurriedly。“Thereisreallynonecessity。Ishouldn’tliketointrudeinfamilyaffairsandthatsortofthing，youknowwhatImean。“
Adrien’sgrave，quieteyeswereuponVic’sface。“Youthinkwehadbetternotgo，then，“shesaidslowly。
“Surething！“repliedVic，withcheerfuloptimism。“Thereisnonecessity——slightaccident——noneedtomakeafussaboutit。“
“Butyousaiditwasaseriousaccident——aterriblething，“saidPatricia。
“Oh，now，Patricia，comeoutofit。Youcheckafellowupsohard。
Can’tyouunderstandtheJohnnywassodeucedlyworkedupoverithecouldn’tgivemetherightofit。Dashitall！Let’shaveanotherturn，Patricia！“
ButAdriensaid:“Ithinkwewillgohome，Hugh。“
“Verywell，ifyouthinkso，Adrien。Idon’tfancyyouneedworryoverAnnette。Theaccidentprobablyisseriousbutnotdangerous。
Tonyisatoughfellow。“
“Exactly！“exclaimedVic。“JustasIhavebeentellingyou。
Serious，butnotdangerous。Atleast，thatwastheimpressionI
got。“
“Oh，Vic，youaresoterriblyconfusing！“exclaimedPatricia。“Whycan’tyougetthingsstraight？Isay，Adrien，wecanrideroundtoAnnette’sonourwayhome，andthenwewillgetthingsquiteclearly。“
“Certainly，“saidHugh。“Itwillonlytakeusaminute。Eh，what！“headdedtoVic，whowasmakingfranticgrimacesathim。
“Well，ifyouladieswillgetyourthings，wewillgo。“
“ButIamsodisappointed，“saidPatriciatoAdrien，astheywenttotheirdressingroomtogether。
Aftertheyhadgone，HughturneduponVic:“Nowthen，whatthedeuceandallareyoudrivingat？“
“Drivingat！“criedVic，inanexasperatedtone。“Youareasweetsupportforafellowindistress。Iamanervouswreck——aperfectmess。AnotherwordfromthatkidandIshouldhaverunscreamingintothenight。Andasforyou，whythedeucedidn’tyoubuckupandhelpafellowout？“
“Helpyouout？HowinthenameofallthatisreasonablecouldI
helpyouout？Whatisalltheyarnabout？OfcourseIknowitisn’ttrue。Where’sMaitland？“
“Searchme，“saidVic。“AllIknowisthatIhituponthatScotchJohnnyoutinthehall——henearlywrenchedanarmoffmeanddideverythingbutbite——spittingoutincoherentgaspingsindicatingthatMaitlandhad’goneawa’wi’hisgur-r-l，confoundhim！’andsuggestingtheusualyoungLochinvarstuff。Youknow——nothinginit，ofcourse。ButwhatwasItodo？Sometalewasnecessary！
Fortunatelyorunfortunately，brotherTonysprangtothethingI
callmymindand——well，youknowthemessImadeofit。ButHugh，remember，forheaven’ssake，maketalkaboutsomething——aboutthematch——andgetthatgirlquietlyhome。IbagthebackseatandAdrien。Itishardonme，Iknow，butfifteenminutesmoreofPatsyandIshallbecountingmytootsiesandprattlingnurseryrhymes。Heretheycome，“hebreathed。“Now，’alittleforlornhope，deadlybreachact，ifyouloveme，Hardy。’Playup，oldboy！“
Andwithcommendableenthusiasmandsuccess，Hughplayedup，supported——asfarashisphysicalandmentalconditionallowed——bytheenfeebledVic，tilltheyhadsafelydepositedtheirchargesattheRectorydoor，whence，refusinganinvitationtostopforcocoa，theytooktheirhomewardway。
“’Andfromfamine，pestilenceandsuddendeath，’andfromtheonce-
overbythatpenetratingyoungfemale，’goodLord，deliverus，’“
murmuredVic，fallingintotheseatbesidehisfriend。“Takemehometomother，“headded，andrefusedfurtherspeechtillathisowndoor。Hewavedaweakadieuandstaggeredfeeblyintothehouse。
GrantMaitlandsatinhisoffice，plainlydisturbedinhis
