his out, sir," answered the butler, quietly. "Yesterday morning
there were only four letters for Lady Carstairs. Two were from
London--in the handwriting of ladies. One was a tradesman's letter--from
Newcastle. The fourth was in a registered envelope--and the address was
typewritten--and the post-mark Edinburgh. I'm convinced, Mr. Lindsey,
that the registered one contained--that! A letter, you understand, from
Sir Gilbert--I found other scraps of it, but so small that it's
impossible to piece them together, though I have them here. And I
conclude that he gave Lady Carstairs orders to cycle to Kelso--an easy
ride for her,--and to take the train to Glasgow, where he'd meet her.
Glasgow, sir, is a highly convenient city, I believe, for people who
wish to disappear. And--I should suggest that Glasgow should be
communicated with."

"Have you ever known Sir Gilbert Carstairs visit Glasgow recently?" asked
Mr. Lindsey, who had listened attentively to all this.

"He was there three weeks ago," replied Hollins.

"And--Edinburgh?" suggested Mr. Lindsey.

"He went regularly to Edinburgh--at one time--twice a week," said the
butler. And then, Mr. Lindsey not making any further remark, he glanced
at him and at Mr. Portlethorpe. "Of course, gentlemen," he continued,
"this is all between ourselves. I feel it my duty, you know."

Mr. Lindsey answered that we all understood the situation, and presently
he let the man out, after a whispered sentence or two between them in the
hall. Then he came back to us, and without a word as to what had just
transpired, drew the Smeaton letter from his pocket.

CHAPTER XXIX

ALL IN ORDER

So that we might have it to ourselves, we had returned from Newcastle to
Berwick in a first-class compartment, and in its privacy Mr. Lindsey had
told Mr. Portlethorpe the whole of the Smeaton story. Mr. Portlethorpe
had listened--so it seemed to me--with a good deal of irritation and
impatience; he was clearly one of those people who do not like
interference with what they regard as an established order of things, and
it evidently irked him to have any questions raised as to the Carstairs
affairs--which, of course, he himself had done much to settle when Sir
Gilbert succeeded to the title. In his opinion, the whole thing was cut,
dried, and done with, and he was still impatient and restive when Mr.
Lindsey laid before him the letter which Mr. Gavin Smeaton had lent us,
and invited him to look carefu