true,
it seemed extremely probable that Mrs. Manston left her watch and keys
behind on purpose to blind people as to her escape; and that therefore
she would not now let herself be discovered, unless a strong pressure
were put upon her. The writers added that the police were on the track
of the porter, who very possibly had absconded in the fear that his
reticence was criminal, and that Mr. Manston, the husband, was, with
praiseworthy energy, making every effort to clear the whole matter up.

2. FROM THE EIGHTEENTH TO THE END OF JANUARY

Five days from the time of his departure, Manston returned from London
and Liverpool, looking very fatigued and thoughtful. He explained to the
rector and other of his acquaintance that all the inquiries he had
made at his wife's old lodgings and his own had been totally barren of
results.

But he seemed inclined to push the affair to a clear conclusion now that
he had commenced. After the lapse of another day or two he proceeded to
fulfil his promise to the rector, and advertised for the missing
woman in three of the London papers. The advertisement was a carefully
considered and even attractive effusion, calculated to win the heart,
or at least the understanding, of any woman who had a spark of her own
nature left in her.

There was no answer.

Three days later he repeated the experiment; with the same result as
before.

'I cannot try any further,' said Manston speciously to the rector, his
sole auditor throughout the proceedings. 'Mr. Raunham, I'll tell you the
truth plainly: I don't love her; I do love Cytherea, and the whole of
this business of searching for the other woman goes altogether against
me. I hope to God I shall never see her again.'

'But you will do your duty at least?' said Mr. Raunham.

'I have done it,' said Manston. 'If ever a man on the face of this earth
has done his duty towards an absent wife, I have towards her--living or
dead--at least,' he added, correcting himself, 'since I have lived at
Knapwater. I neglected her before that time--I own that, as I have owned
it before.'

'I should, if I were you, adopt other means to get tidings of her
if advertising fails, in spite of my feelings,' said the rector
emphatically. 'But at any rate, try advertising once more. There's a
satisfaction in having made any attempt three several times.'

When Manston had left the study, the rector stood looking at the fire
for a considerable length of time, lost in pro