“We can’t tell yet.  He fell down the porch steps; he had been calling on Uncle Calvin.  He—­is quite helpless, but the doctor thinks there are no bones broken.  Doctor Thomas wouldn’t allow Mr. Kendrick to be moved, so we have him here with a nurse.  He is very anxious to see you.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can get there in the car.  I think I can make it quicker than by train at this hour.  Thank you for calling me, Miss Gray.  Please—­give my love to grandfather and tell him I’m coming.”

“I will, Mr. Kendrick.  I—­we are all—­so sorry.  Good-bye.”

Richard turned back to Carson with an anxious face.  The manager was on his feet, concern in his manner.

“Something happened to old Mr. Kendrick, Mr. Richard?”

“A fall—­can’t move—­wants me right away.  It never rains but it pours, Carson—­even in May.  I thought Benson’s illness was the worst thing that could happen to us, but this is worse yet.  I’ll have to leave everything to you to settle while I run down to the old gentleman.  A fall, Carson—­isn’t that likely to be pretty serious at his age?”

“Depends on what caused it, I should say,” Carson answered cautiously.  “If it was any kind of shock—­”

“Oh—­it can’t be that!” Richard Kendrick’s voice showed his alarm at the thought.  “Grandfather’s been such an active old chap—­no superfluous fat—­he’s not at all a high liver—­takes his cold plunge just as he always has.  It can’t be that!  But I’m off to see.  Good-bye, Carson.  I’ll ’phone you when I know the situation.  Meanwhile—­wish grandfather safely out of it, will you?”

“Of course I will; I think a great deal of Mr. Kendrick.  Good-bye—­and don’t worry about things here.”  Carson wrung his employer’s hand, then went out with him to the curb, where the car stood, and saw him off.  “He really cares,” he was thinking.  “Nobody could fake that anxiety.  He doesn’t want the old man to die—­and he’s his heir—­to millions.  Well, I like him better than ever for it.  I believe if I got typhoid he’d personally carry me to the hospital or do any other thing that came into his head.  Well, now it’s for me to find a competent salesman for this May sale that’s on with such a rush.  It’s going to be hard to manage without Benson.”

The long, low car had never made faster time to the city, and it was in the early dusk that it came to a standstill before the porch of the Gray home.  Doors and windows were wide open, lights gleamed everywhere, but the house was very quiet.  The car had stolen up as silently as a car of fine workmanship may in these days of motor perfection, but it had been heard, and Mrs. Robert Gray came out to meet Richard before he could ring.

“My dear Mr. Richard,” she said, pressing his hand, her face very grave and sweet, “you have come quickly.  I am glad, for we are anxious.  Your grandfather has dropped into a strange, drowsy state, from which it seems impossible to rouse him.  But I hope you may be able to do so.  He has wanted you from the first moment.”