i f6c06dd9cf3fe221 by Unknown (the false prince .TXT) 📕

eyes to his, and for a moment they stood looking at each other. And in that time she knew he was gone from her for ever, and a destructive hate was let loose in her.

He left her without a word.

When they were outside, Rodney gripped Annie's hand.

"Can you run?" he asked.

"We'll catch a tram; it's no use me tinkering with the car, it hasn't been used for weeks. Come, keep tight hold of me."

They ran down the garden and out into the lane.

"What happened?" he asked, as they ran.

"My gran da said I had to go back to the Borough Road school," panted Annie, 'and Kate said she wouldn't send me. He's been on about it ever since Kate came home. Oh, doctor, will she die? the blood was all over the place. "

Rodney gripped her hand tighter and increased his pace.

They were nearing the end of the lane when they almost ran into a figure.

Rodney gave an exclamation.

"That you, Rodney?" asked a familiar voice.

"Yes, Peter," said Rodney, surprised.

"What are you doing here?"

"What are you running for?" asked Peter anxiously.

"Are you all right? What's happened?"

The reason for Peter's presence flashed on Rodney, and he put out his hand and gripped Peter's arm.

"Nothing's happened, Peter. But thanks for coming, all the same....

Have you got your car here? Something's wrong with Kate; old Hannigan has been beating her. Annie here came up to the house for Swinbum, and, incidentally, brought me to reason again.... Will you run us up to the fifteen streets?"

Peter did not question why Swinburn wasn't seeing to

^5

the case, nor why Rodney should be so concerned about Kate Hannigan.

Enough that he was himself again.

When they reached the end of the fifteen streets, he dropped them, not offering to accompany Rodney to see what the trouble was. Although he didn't believe for one moment that Rodney was the father of Annie, there was something here he could not understand, but something into which, he felt, it was not his business to probe.

So he left them, saying, "Come up tomorrow, Rodney ... come to dinner.... Mind, don't forget ours is at one o'clock," he added, laughing.

"I will," said Rodney.

"Many thanks, Peter."

And, taking Annie's hand again, he hurried off.

It was Mr. Mullen who opened the door to them, peering at them in the dim light.

"Oh," he said, 'it's you! You've been quicker than I thought. "

Then, on closer inspection, "Begod, if it isn't Doctor Prince, himself!

Well, I didn't expect to see you, doctor; I thought you'd be across the water by now. But I'm glad to see you, all the same.... Mind how you go," he admonished; 'this place is in a hell of a mess. "

Rodney looked at the kitchen aghast. The table was end up near the window, the floor was strewn with broken crockery. Lord Roberts had been ruthlessly torn from his frame, and from his horse, which, with his black bodyguard, was now lying on top of a pile of brasses in the far corner of the room. The mantelpiece, which the brasses had adorned, was bare; the chiffonier door was splintered, as if a foot had gone through it; and the wall near the staircase was spattered with blood.

"Yes; just look at it!" said Mr. Mullen.

"He should be put bloody well inside. I wanted to go for the bobbies.

But would Sarah hear of it?

No! Didn't want the disgrace of fetching the bobbies. But I told her that if anything happens to that lass, there'll be more than a bit of disgrace . he'll swing! "Bout time too, I say; bloody maniac! "

"Where is he?" asked Rodney.

"Oh, he's cleared out. He always does after a bout like this. You won't see him for days; goes to his sister's in Jarrow, I think. Hope he breaks his bloody neck in getting there. That's my prayer.... Can you see your way?" he asked, as Rodney went up the stairs, and added:

"You stay here with me, Annie, and we'll see if we can get this place straight."

Sarah, sitting beside Kate's bed, gave a start as Rodney entered the room, and her fingers went uncertainly to her mouth, and Mrs. Mullen, looking up from the fire she was tending, exclaimed in surprise; "Why, doctor 1' Rodney gave her a nod and bent over Kate, whose face was ashen except where it was spattered with blood. A towel, pressed to her neck, was red and wet.

He stripped off his coat.

"Come," he said to Sarah gently.

"You must go to bed;

you shouldn't be up, you know. " Whatever had to be done, he couldn't do it with her sitting looking at him, with that pained and frightened expression.

"Will she die?" asked Sarah, letting him help her to rise.

"Not if I can help it ... you know that," he added softly.

She turned to him at the door, looking up into his face: "You'll not hurt my Kate?" she pleaded. "Oh, doctor, don't hurt her."

"I'll never hurt Kate," he answered, after a moment.

"You can rest assured."

She sighed and turned away as if satisfied. Mrs. Mullen, taking her arm, put her own construction on the conversation.

"Of course he won't hurt her, Sarah. You know that. If anyone can put her right, it will be the doctor."

"Pray God you're right," murmured Rodney, as he set about examining Kate.

She lay quite still, her eyes dosed. When he lifted up an eyelid he saw she was conscious, but she gave no sign of recognition.

He took the towel gently away from her neck and examined the wound, his eyes narrowing as he did so. What an escape! Another fraction and it would have been a jugular vein. As it was she had lost a lot of blood.

She was still in her