Louisa descended
on him with coaxings and promises, and Ida knew no more, except that, as
she had desired, a parcel had been sent her containing the hat and shoes.
The spade she had herself picked up.

When Rose had seen them, they had no doubt been on their way to
Liverpool.

It seemed to be Herbert's horror-stricken look that first showed his
sister the enormity of what she had done, and when she pleaded 'for your
sake,' he made such a fierce sound of disgust, that she only durst add
further, 'Oh, Herbert, you will not tell?'

'Not find him?' he thundered.

'No, no; I didn't mean that! But don't let them know about me! Just
think--'

'I must think! Get away now; I can't bear you near!'

And just then a voice was heard, 'Miss Hider, Miss Hider, your ma wants
you!'

CHAPTER XXXV
THE QUEST

Herbert had made no promises, but as he paced up and down the shingle
after his sister had gone in, he had time to feel that, though he was
determined to act at once, the scandal of her deed must be as much as
possible avoided. Indeed, he believed that she might have rendered
herself amenable to prosecution for kidnapping the child, and he felt on
reflection that his mother must be spared the terror and disgrace. His
difficulties were much increased by the state of quarantine at Northmoor,
for though the journey to Malvern had been decided upon, neither patient
was yet in a state to attempt it, and as one of the servants had
unexpectedly sickened with the disease, all approach to the place was
forbidden; nor did he know with any certainty how far his uncle's
recovery had advanced, since Bertha, his chief informant, had gone abroad
with Mrs. Bury, and Constance was still at Oxford.

He went home, and straight up to his room, feeling it intolerable to meet
his sister; and there, the first sleepless night he had ever known,
convinced him that to the convalescents it would be cruelty to send his
intelligence, when it amounted to no more than that their poor little boy
had been made over to an unscrupulous woman and a violent,
good-for-nothing man.

'No,' said Herbert, as he tossed over; 'it would be worse than believing
him quietly dead, now they have settled down to that. I must get him
back before they know anything about it. But how? I must hunt up those
wretches' people here, and find where they are gone; if they know--as
like as not they won't. But I'll throw everything up till I find the
boy!' He kn