THE DOCTOR'S MIXTURE.

BOOK III.
CHAPTER V. A NIGHT JOURNEY.

IN great confusion Mr. Leader rose up,
and faltering out a few words of excuse
to his host, got to the door at last, where
he found Yates, his butler, with his most
mysterious manner on, in which he was
fond of investing himself, as with a white
tie. This official led Mr. Leader out to a
carriage at the door, and there the latter
found his daughter!

"Dear papa," she said at once, "a telegram
has come from poor Cecil. It says
that he is in the utmost danger, and begs
to see you and me. We must go at once.
There is a late train, which we can just
catch. Do get in, papa."

"But Mrs. Leader——"

"Oh, don't tell her. She will prevent
us going," she said. "Or, stay. Run back
and tell the people in the house quietly.
We should make a fuss or break up the
party."

This seemed a relief to Mr. Leader, and
he hurried back into the dining-room,
whispered to the host that he was obliged to
leave, his son ill, &c., and would he tell
Mrs. Leader up-stairs?

"But, my dear sir, wouldn't it be better
for you yourself just to run up; it won't
take a second. She will think it so strange
to be left here——"

But nothing could persuade Mr. Leader.
"Oh, if you would—I can't stay, indeed,
no. Just tell her I have business, and will
write," and he was gone, leaving the party
not a little amused at this conjugal terror.

Once in the carriage, he felt a certain
relief. Here was a trial—grief, perhaps—
but still he was going away with his dear
daughter. The host went up with the rest
of the gentlemen, and taking Mrs. Leader
aside, told how her husband had been sent
for into London on some business, and
would write that night about it. He did
not like to make a fuss, having whispering,
&c., at his little party. Mrs. Leader was
disposed to be more angry than disquieted
at this sudden and awkward departure.
But things were going very well with her,
so she fancied; the people there had taken
some notice of her, owing to Lady Seaman's
promptings, and she felt very happy in such
a delightful atmosphere. If Mr. Leader
was eccentric enough to allow business to
interfere with pleasure, and take himself
off in that odd and ridiculous way, perhaps
it would be just as well for her, as he would
not interfere with her plans in any stupid
way. In this fashion she resigned herself,
and was not in the least disturbed.

Father and daughter, meanwhile, drove
back to London. Half an hour at the
house was sufficient for all preparations, and
before midnight they were at the South-
Eastern Station, catching a luggage train
that was going down to Folkestone. It was
a cold, chilly, weary journey, yet they were
not cast down. They were excellent
company to each other; the state, the manacles
of fashion, and prison-like round of duty,
were all left behind; and but for the
possibility of bad news awaiting them, and the
anxious errand on which they were going,
they might have rather enjoyed the
expedition. So they went on and on by this
restive luggage train, which took its way
in a bandit fashion, now rushing on at
headlong speed to get a start of the express,
now skulking in a siding when overtaken.

At last they found themselves on the
steep viaduct that runs across the valley,
with a number of faint lights, all dotted