.

"It will save me walking," she declared fretfully, "and I have done so
much this morning."

"Where did you go?" asked Giles, wondering that so indolent a woman
should exert herself on such a hot day.

"To some woods round a place they call the Priory."

"To the Priory!" he exclaimed, astonished. "Do you know Mr. Franklin?"

"My mother said the woods round the Priory," explained Olga, with an
annoyed glance at the elder lady. "She did not enter."

"No," said the Princess, "I did not enter; I do not know the man. Oh, my
dear Olga, do come back. I don't feel at all well."

"I will order the carriage," said Giles, rising.

"And you will come back with us?"

"Really, you must excuse me, Mademoiselle Olga," he answered; "but even
a country squire has his work to do."

And with that he hurried away. In half an hour he had the satisfaction
of seeing the carriage roll down his avenue with a very disappointed
young lady frowning at the broad back of the coachman. Then he set about
seeing what he could do to circumvent her.

It was too late to call on Franklin, as it was nearly six o'clock.
Still, Ware thought he would reconnoitre in the woods. It was strange
that the elder Princess should have been there this morning, and he
wondered if she also knew of Anne's whereabouts. But this he decided was
impossible. She had only been a few days in England, and she would not
likely know anything about the governess. Still, it was odd that she
should have taken a walk in that particular direction, or that she
should have walked at all. Here was another mystery added to the one
which already perplexed him so greatly.

However, time was too precious to be wasted in soliloquizing, so he went
off post-haste towards the woods round the Priory. Since he wished to
avoid observation, he chose by-paths, and took a rather circuitous
route. It was nearly seven when he found himself in the forest. The
summer evenings were then at their longest, and under the great trees
there was a soft, brooding twilight full of peace and pleasant woodland
sounds. Had he gone straight forward, he would have come on the great
house itself, centred in that fairy forest. But this was the last thing
he wished to do. He was not yet prepared to see Franklin. He looked here
and there to see if any human being was about, but unsuccessfully. Then
he took his way to the spot where he had found the coin of Edward VII.
To his surprise he saw a girl stooping and