me down to see Mr.
Horbury, and that on his arrival he telephoned up to let him know he'd
got here. If that presumption is correct, then, in all probability,
there'd been previous correspondence between them as to the man's
visit."

"If that man came to see Mr. Horbury," remarked the solicitor, "why
didn't he come straight here to the bank-house?"

"That's just where the mystery lies, sir," replied Starmidge. "All the
mystery of the affair lies in that man's coming at all! Let me find out
who that man was, and what he came for, and if he and Mr. Horbury met,
and where they went when they did meet--and I'll soon tell you--what
would probably make your hair stand on end!" he muttered to himself, as
he pulled a drawer out of the desk and placed it on a centre table
before Betty. "Now, Miss Fosdyke, you get to work on that."

For over an hour the four curiously assorted searchers examined the
contents of the missing man's desk, of another desk in the study, of
certain letter-racks which hung above the mantelpieces in both rooms, of
drawers in these rooms, of drawers and small cabinets in his bedroom.
Starmidge turned out the pockets of all the clothing he could find:
opened suit-cases, trunks, dressing-cases. They found nothing of the
nature desired. And just as half-past one came, and Polke was wondering
what Starmidge would do next, Jones came back and called him into the
inner hall.

"I've got some news of her," he whispered. "She's off--from Scarnham,
anyway, sir! I couldn't get any word of her in the town, nor at the
cab-places: in fact, it's only within this last five minutes that I've
got it."

"Well?" demanded Polke eagerly. "And what is it?"

"Young Mitchell, who has a taxi-cab of his own, you know," said Jones.
"He told me--heard I was inquiring. He says that at half-past ten, just
as he was coming out of his shed in River Street, Mrs. Carswell came up
and asked him to drive her into Ecclesborough. He did--they got there at
half-past eleven: he set her down at the Exchange Station. Then he came
back--alone. So--she's got two hours' good start, sir--if she really is
off!"

CHAPTER XII

THE FIRST FIND

Polke took a step or two on the pavement outside the bank, meditating on
this latest development of a matter that was hourly growing in mystery.
Why had this woman suddenly disappeared? Had she merely gone to
Ecclesborough for the day?--or had she made it her first stage in a
further journey? Why