Page:The Fate of Fenella (1892).djvu/180

 fever, and the doctor says if her boy is at her bedside when she recovers her senses it may save her life. Whatever sum of money may be necessary to recover the boy I'll double it, treble it, quadruple it, if you only find him for me, and at once," he cried out to the inspector, all in a breath.

"The recovery of the child does not, unfortunately, depend on mere money, my lord."

"On what, then?"

"On possibility. If it is possible to be done it will be done; and whether we succeed or fail, you may rely on no time being lost. Will your lordship kindly give me all the particulars?"

The father told the history of the boy's abduction, as Mrs. Grandison had given it to him.

"And this foreign, handsome lady who took the child away, do you happen to know her name?"

Did he happen to know Lucille's name! Good Heavens, how strange such a question seemed! But it was one thing to know her name, and vow hatred of her, and another thing to give to the police the name of a woman he once made love to. He hesitated.

The inspector looked up from the sheet of paper on which he had been taking down the particulars.

The inspector, believing the other had not heard, repeated the question.