"Oh, mother!" I exclaimed. "How can you ask such questions when you know
how things are!--it was midnight when Mr. Lindsey and I got in from
Newcastle, and he would make me stop with him--and we were away again to
Edinburgh first thing in the morning."

"Aye, well, if Mr. Lindsey likes to spend his money flying about the
country, he's welcome!" she retorted. "But I'll be thankful when you
settle down to peaceful ways again. Where are you going now?" she
demanded. "There's a warm supper for you in the oven!"

"I've had my supper at Mr. Lindsey's, mother," I said, as I dragged my
bicycle out of the back-place. "I've just got to go out, whether I will
or no, and I don't know when I'll be in, either--do you think I can sleep
in my bed when I don't know where Maisie is?"

"You'll not do much good, Hugh, where the police have failed," she
answered. "There's yon man Chisholm been here during the evening, and he
tells me they haven't come across a trace of her, so far."

"Chisholm's been here, then?" I exclaimed. "For no more than that?"

"Aye, for no more than that," she replied. "And then this very noon
there was that Irishwoman that kept house for Crone, asking at the
door for you."

"What, Nance Maguire!" I said. "What did she want?"

"You!" retorted my mother. "Nice sort of people we have coming to our
door in these times! Police, and murderers, and Irish--"

"Did she say why she wanted me?" I interrupted her.

"I gave her no chance," said my mother. "Do you think I was going to hold
talk with a creature like that at my steps?"

"I'd hold talk with the devil himself, mother, if I could get some
news of Maisie!" I flung back at her as I made off. "You're as bad as
Andrew Dunlop!"

There was the house door between her and me before she could reply to
that, and the next instant I had my bicycle on the road and my leg over
the saddle, and was hesitating before I put my foot to the pedal. What
did Nance Maguire want of me? Had she any news of Maisie? It was odd that
she should come down--had I better not ride up the town and see her? But
I reflected that if she had any news--which was highly improbable--she
would give it to the police; and so anxious was I to test what Scott had
hinted at, that I swung on to my machine without further delay or
reflection and went off towards Hathercleugh.

And as I crossed the old bridge, in the opening murmur of a coming storm,
I had an illumination which came as suddenly as t