He could not, his
hand shook so. With a groan he rose, and going to the refreshment room
swallowed two glasses of brandy one after another. The spirit took
effect on him; he could write now. Rapidly he scribbled on a sheet of
paper:
"I have been called away upon important business and shall probably not
be back till Thursday morning. See that Effie is properly attended
to. If I am not back you must not go to the duchess's ball.--Geoffrey
Bingham."
Then he addressed the letter to Lady Honoria and dispatched a
commissionaire with it. This done, he called a cab and bade the cabman
drive to Euston as fast as his horse could go.
CHAPTER XXX
AVE ATQUE VALE
That frightful journey--no nightmare was ever half so awful! But it came
to an end at last--there was the Bryngelly Station. Geoffrey sprang from
the train, and gave his ticket to the porter, glancing in his face as he
did so. Surely if there had been a tragedy the man would know of it, and
show signs of half-joyous emotion as is the fashion of such people when
something awful and mysterious has happened to somebody else.
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