Malcolm forgot his own troubles in his anxiety to prevent his protege falling into the hands of the adventurer, Saul Jacobi.

For the moment his own soul seemed to yearn over the boy who was his sisters' darling and the object of their thoughts and prayers.
"Look here, old fellow," he went on, as Cedric seemed relapsing into moody silence, "there is no use beating about the bush.

I have come down to-night to have a talk with you, because a report has reached my ears.

Is it true that you have been mad enough to engage yourself to the lady calling herself Miss Jacobi ?" Then Cedric flushed up, and his eyes blazed with anger.
"May I ask if the report be true ?" went on Malcolm, taking no notice of Cedric's fiery looks.
"I object to the manner in which you frame your question," returned Cedric proudly.

Strange to say, at that moment he reminded Malcolm of Elizabeth.