d set on
seeing her grace, and used such strong language about it, that at last
Miss Watson took up her message and in a few minutes come back and took
up the visitor."

"She did? And what next?" inquired Lady Belgrade.

"Please, my lady, there was nothing next. In about an hour Miss Margaret
brought the elderly old lady down, and I showed her out of the servants'
door."

"Did she leave the house alone?" inquired the duke.

"Yes, your grace, just as she came, alone."

"Go and tell Margaret Watson to come here," said Lady Belgrade.

The man bowed and retired.

In a few minutes the girl made her appearance again.

"How is it, Watson, that you did not mention the visitor you showed up
into your lady's room this morning?" inquired Lady Belgrade, in a severe
tone.

"If you please, my lady, I did not think the visitor signified anything,"
meekly answered the maid.

"How could you tell _what_ signified at a time like this?"

"I beg pardon, my lady; but it was the time itself that made me forget
the visitor."

"Who was she? What time did she come? What did she want?" sharply
demanded the lady.

"Please, my lady, she said her name was Smith, or Jones, or some such
common name as that. I think it was Jones, my lady. And she lived on
Westminster Road--or it might have been Blackfriars Road. Least-ways
it was one of those roads leading to a bridge because I remember it made
me think of the river."

"Extremely satisfactory! At what hour did this Mrs. Smith or Jones, from
Westminster or Blackfriars, come?" inquired Lady Belgrade.

"Just as her grace went up to her room to change her dress. She had just
finished changing it when the woman was admitted."

"And now! what did the woman want of the duchess?"

"I do not know, my lady. Her business was with her grace alone. And she
requested to have me sent out of the room. I did not see the woman again,
until her grace called me to show her, the woman, out again."

"And you did so?"

"Yes, my lady. And I have not seen the woman since. And--I have not seen
her grace since, either, my lady."

"You may go now," answered Lady Belgrade.

And the girl withdrew.

The Duke of Hereward and Lady Belgrade were once more left alone
together.

Again their eyes met in anxious scrutiny.

"What do you think now, Duke?" inquired her ladyship.

"I think the disappearance of the duchess is connected with the visit of
that strange woman. She may have been an unfortunate begga