hat my sudden and unexpected
disappearance had been entirely voluntary, and Dennis, who had found
my note, as soon as he put on his cap to stroll out casually, and see
where I had got to, gave him subtly to understand that it was really
part of a prearranged plan, and Myra at length persuaded him to go to
bed at midnight.

When I failed to put in an appearance at breakfast-time, however, even
they began to be a trifle alarmed, but they did their best to conceal
their fears. They scoured the hillside and then went down to the
landing-stage. Dennis had reported the previous night that the
motor-boat was still in its place when he saw Hilderman off, and it
never occurred to Myra that I might make my departure in the
_Coch-a-Bondhu_.

"He hasn't gone by the sea, any way," Dennis announced again, as he
and the girl stood on the landing-stage.

"You mean the _Jenny_ is still there?" she asked.

"Yes," said Dennis, "she's just where she was when we arrived from
Glasnabinnie in Hilderman's boat yesterday."

"Mr. Burnham!" Myra cried suddenly, "is there another boat, a brown
motor-boat, anchored just out there?"

"No," said Dennis, realising how terribly handicapped they were by
Myra's inability to see.

"Are you sure?" the girl asked anxiously.

"Quite sure," said Dennis positively. "There is one motor-boat here,
and that is all."

"I suppose he took that to put Hilderman off the scent," Myra mused,
"and in that case he is probably quite safe. I daresay he's gone to
look for our friend von What's-his name's yacht or his house at Loch
Duich."

Dennis clutched at the opportunity this theory gave him to allay her
fears, and declared that it was ridiculous of him not to have thought
of it before, and he gave Myra his arm to the house. But he was not at
all satisfied with it, and, as it turned out afterwards, Myra was not
very confident about it either. Dennis knew me well enough to know
that I should never have set out with the deliberate intention of
stopping away overnight without leaving some more definite message for
my _fiancee_. However, their thoughts were speedily diverted, for they
had hardly reached the house before a strange man made his way
towards them through the heather.

"Mr. Ewart, sir?" he asked.

"Do you wish to speak to Mr. Ewart?" Dennis asked cautiously.

"I have a parcel and a message for him from Mr. Garnesk," said the
stranger, a young man, who might have been anything by profession.

"O