“Good-bye, Jack! Good-bye!”

He heard the cry, and looked. Never was a man overtaken by more crushing fear. He reeled on the stringer piece, his face went white to the roots of his hair, and he seemed to shrink and wither away inside his clothes. He threw up his hands and groaned, “My God! My God!” Then he controlled himself by a great effort.

“Good-bye, Lucy! Good-bye!” he called.

And he stood there on the wharf, waving his hands to her till the Noeau was clear away and the faces lining her after-rail were vague and indistinct.

“I thought you knew,” said McVeigh, who had been regarding him curiously. “You, of all men, should have known. I thought that was why you were here.”

“I know now,” Kersdale answered with immense gravity. “Where’s the carriage?”

He walked rapidly-half-ran-to it. I had to half-run myself to keep up with him.

“Drive to Doctor Hervey’s,” he told the driver. “Drive as fast as you can.”

He sank down in a seat, panting and gasping. The pallor of his face had increased. His lips were compressed and the sweat was standing out on his forehead and upper lip. He seemed in some horrible agony.

“For God’s sake, Martin, make those horses go!” he broke out suddenly. “Lay the whip into them!-do you hear?-lay the whip into them!”

“They’ll break, sir,” the driver remonstrated.

“Let them break,” Kersdale answered. “I’ll pay your fine and square you with the police. Put it to them. That’s right. Faster! Faster!”

“And I never knew, I never knew,” he muttered, sinking back in the seat and with trembling hands wiping the sweat away.

The carriage was bouncing, swaying and lurching around corners at such a wild pace as to make conversation impossible. Besides, there was nothing to say. But I could hear him muttering over and over, “And I never knew. I never knew.”