Dudley frowned impatiently, and again he cast at Max the horrible, furtive look which had been his first greeting.

“That’s impossible,” said he, quickly.  “I may have to go on to Liverpool myself.  Good-night.”

And he shut himself into the bedroom.

Max felt cold all over.  After a few minutes’ hesitation, he went out of the chambers, down the stairs and out of the house.

At the door a cab was waiting.  The driver spoke to him the moment he stepped out on the pavement.  Evidently he took him for Dudley, his late fare.

“The lady’s got out an’ gone off, sir.  I hollered after her, but she wouldn’t wait.  Oh, beg pardon, sir,” and the man touched his hat, perceiving his mistake; “I took you for the gentleman I brought here with the lady.”

“Oh, he’ll be down in a minute or two,” answered Max.

And then he thought he would wait and see what new developments the disappearance of the lady would lead to.  He was getting sick with alarm about his friend.  These instances of the blood-stained clothes, the possible journey to Liverpool, and the flight of the mysterious lady, were so suspicious, taken in conjunction with each other, that Max found it impossible to rest until he knew more.  He walked a little way along the pavement, and then returned slowly in the middle of the road.  He had done this for the third time when Dudley dashed out of the house with rapid steps, and had reached the step of the hansom before he discovered that the vehicle was empty.

An exclamation of dismay escaped his lips, and to the cabman’s statement of the lady’s disappearance he replied by asking sharply in which direction she had gone.  On receiving the information he wanted, he gave the man his fare, and walked rapidly away in the direction the cabman had indicated.

Max followed.

Every moment increased his belief that some appalling circumstance had occurred by which Dudley’s mind had for the time lost its balance.  Every word, look and movement on the part of his friend betrayed the fact.  Now he was evidently setting off in feverish haste in pursuit of this woman whom he had left in the cab; and Max, who believed that his friend was on the brink of an attack of the insanity which old Mr. Wedmore feared, resolved to dog his footsteps, and not to let his friend go out of his sight until the latter got safely back to his chambers.

Dudley went at a great pace into Holborn, and then he stopped.  The traffic had dwindled down to an occasional hansom and to a thin line of foot-passengers on the pavements.  He looked to right, to left, and then he turned suddenly and came face to face with Max.

“Hello!” cried he.  “Where are you going to?  Where are you putting up?”

“At the Arundel,” answered Max, taken aback, and stammering a little.

Dudley had recovered his usual tones.

“Come to my club,” said he.  “We can get some supper there and have that pipe.”