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In the interim nothing happened, and he was able to enjoy some excellent shooting with Quain, his thoughts undisturbed by any further appearance of the babu. But on that seventh morning it became evident that a burglary had been visited upon the home of his hosts.
For a long course of years he had charge of his friend's health, if health it could be called where all was disease and misery; and it was his fate to see him affectionately through the great crisis at the last. There was a deal of this affection in Quain; he was eminently good-natured; good true-hearted Quain!
And with a bear-like rush Quain topped the nearest dune, dropped down into the hollow, and was upon him. "By the Lord Harry!" he cried, almost embracing Amber in his excitement and relief; "I'd almost given you up for good and all!" "And I you," said Amber, watching curiously and somewhat distrustfully a second man follow Quain into the vale. "Who's that?" he demanded. "Only Antone.
Quain's was the second letter. Having merely glanced at the heading and signature, Labertouche had reserved the rather formidable document for Quain had written fully as probably of scant importance, to be dealt with at his absolute leisure. But as he read his expression grew more and more serious and perturbed.
"I'll get a bite of breakfast, sir," he suggested; "you 'aven't 'ad enough to eat, and 'unger's tyking 'old of you. If you'll pardon my saying so, you look a bit sickly; but a cup of hot coffee'll set that right in a jiffy." "Thank you, Doggott; I believe you're right. Though disappointment has a good deal to do with the way I look. I'd hoped it might be Mr. Quain come to look for me."
He was a familiar of the house, and had had the unconditional entrée since he and the Stanway girls first went to the High Schools at Oldcastle. 'I hope I haven't disturbed your beauty sleep any of you, was his opening remark. 'Yes, you have, said Ethel. He continued: 'I just came in to seek a little temporary relief from the excellent Quain.
To the right, on the other side of the road, a rustic fence enclosed the trim, well-groomed plantations of Tanglewood Lodge; through the dead limbs a window of the house winked in the sunset glow like an eye of garnet. And as the two appeared a man came running up the road, shouting. "That's Quain!" cried Amber; and sent a long cry of greeting toward him.
"Thet's the Quain place, daown by th' ba-ay," interpolated the youth from unplumbed depths of mournful abstraction. "It is. I wired yesterday " "Yeour name's Amber, aint it?" "Yes, I " "Well, Quain didn't get yeour message till this mornin'. I sent a kid daown with it 'baout ten o'clock." "But why the but I wired yesterday afternoon!" "I knaow ye did," assented the youth wearily.
He could not cure, but he did all that was possible by his unwearying attention to alleviate. How often have I found the red chariot waiting at the door, or when I was sitting with him would the door open and the grave manservant announce "Sir Rich-hard QUAIN." His talk, gossip, news, was part of the alleviation.
Quain at breakfast, Quain at chapel, Quain at dinner.... I got him to slumber on one side of the hearth and mother on the other, and then I slipped away in case they awoke. If they do, I've told Cissie to say that I've gone out to take a tract to a sick friend back in five minutes. 'Oh, Harry, you are silly! Millicent laughed.
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